Reboot
by White-Tainted-Red
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki had it all, and one day it all disappeared. He's awoken in a world where his boyfriend, his parents, and his friends don't remember him. Can he re-obtain those precious relationships that made Naruto who he is now? AMIC Sequel.
1. Who Am I?

**Reboot**

**The "A Mother's Intuition: Crushes" sequel. You don't have to read AMIC to understand this, though. Have fun!**

**-x-**

"**I tried to be perfect, but nothing was worth it."**

**[Pieces – Sum 41]**

**-x-**

He was roused from sleep when the faint light from the bleached lunar surface crept through the gap in his curtains. Naruto Uzumaki was an unusually light sleeper. _Now_, he thought in irritation, _he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep_. He peeked out from beneath his thick covers and stared into the darkness that stretched on and on. There was enough light for him to make out the contours of the furniture that crowded his undersized room. With a half-hearted sigh, he slowly slipped out of the fort he'd made the previous night. Ever since his 'visit' in the Village Hidden in the Darkness, nightmares had plagued his sleep. He wasn't going to be a coward and avoid sleep, only to pass out from exhaustion, but he felt at ease when he had a few sheets in between himself and the darkness. It had been three years since that mission. Tsunade had considered him mentally unstable for B-rank missions, despite his newly attained Chuunin status. Instead she assigned him D-rank missions, and occasionally C-rank. He'd been complaining ever since, but she insisted. Even Itachi Uchiha, his boy friend of almost four years, claimed it to be for his own good. _But it's doing me no good at all. All it's succeeding in doing is making me feel like I'm going crazy... and that I am not._

He stumbled in the direction of the curtains, fingers groping the shadows blindly. When the cotton brushed his elbow, his endless supply of energy finally was set into motion. He hastily pulled the curtains apart, revealing the... illuminated village. _Everyone's supposed to be asleep. Why are the lights on?_

There was something strange going on. Not only were the lights confirming his theory, but the clenching of his gut as well. The people of Konoha valued sleep like a precious gem. It was normal to see four or five lights on, but the whole village? He chose to come up with a rational solution before the panic set in. _Itachi will know, right? He should be awake._ Naruto was blind as a bat in the darkness, but managed to reach the light switch without sustaining any serious injuries. It was at times like these that he was jealous of the nine-tails, who could see in the dark. The yellow light splashed over the room like paint. He quickly found a pair of grey sweatpants and an orange hoodie to put over his pyjama shirt. He stopped by the bathroom for bladder relief and a splash of water on his face before heading out. Despite his rush, he attached his weapons pouch to his thigh, tied his hitai-ate around his neck, and slipped on the flak jacket that all Chuunin and Jounin are required to wear. He took off when he deemed himself presentable.

When he passed his favourite ramen stand, he was surprised to find it open. What disturbed him was that when he waved at the old man, he merely looked him dead on with a blank stare, as if he was a stranger. Naruto frowned before continuing on. He wouldn't speak to anyone before he spoke to Itachi. He arrived at the Uchiha compound a little over ten minutes later. When he approached the guards, rather than the friendly waves he'd been expecting, he received a hostile inquiry of his business at the compound.

"Don't you remember me? I'm Itachi Uchiha's boyfriend!" Naruto stated, oblivious to the glares he was receiving.

"As far as we've heard, Itachi-san has never been in a relationship, and even less with someone of the same gender." One of the guards said in a monotone. Another guard pitched in, "In fact, I was starting to think Itachi-san was asexual."

"Baka!" The first guard shouted, slapping the back of the second guard's head. "S-sorry!" The second guard stuttered.

"I'm not sure why you don't remember me! I mean, I was just here last night!" Naruto's frown looked like it was settling in for a long stay.

"I don't repeat myself." The first guard bit out. He crossed his arms for emphasis. The light from the houses behind him gave him an eerie glow.

"Can I go see him, at least? I have to speak to him. It's urgent." Naruto pleaded.

"Go see if he's willing to come out here, Ryuu. I don't trust the brat." The first guard ordered the other. The second guard slinked off, probably to wake Itachi. In the meantime, Naruto decided to question the guard.

"So... do you know why all of the lights are on?" Naruto asked, looking as innocent as a golden retriever. He claimed it was a gift from his dad.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The guard muttered warily. Naruto walked as close to the gate as he dared. "To put it simply, Konoha has never been a nocturnal village."

"You must be joking; Konoha has always been a night village." The guard looked genuinely surprised. Naruto's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and he only ached to see Itachi more. He remained silent until he finally saw the eldest of the brothers engaged in conversation with the second guard. Itachi didn't even look tired.

"Itachi!" Naruto called. There was a hint of desperation in his voice, as he waved the man (he didn't think boy was appropriate anymore) over. Itachi stopped only a couple feet away from the gate before replying, "Do I know you?" Those four words practically crushed Naruto's heart into thousands of delicate fragments.

"W-what do you mean? It's me, Naruto!" The blonde's voice shook as he spoke.

"Naruto..." Itachi regarded the name for a minute before shaking his head. "I'm sorry; I don't think I know any Naruto's."

Naruto's heart was only crushed further. "I-Itachi, come on. This isn't funny."

"I'm not amused either." Itachi raised a delicate brow in annoyance, an expression which had almost become endearing to Naruto.

The blonde shook his head in denial. He clutched onto the bars in fear of losing a hold of himself. "Itachi, Itachi... I'm your boyfriend, remember? Naruto... Naruto Uzumaki?"

"I already said I don't know any Naruto's. You must have me mistaken with someone else. Now, is there anything you need?" Itachi tilted his head slightly, and the blonde felt tears pooling in his eyes.

"Listen to me, I know who you are. You're Itachi Uchiha, and we've been together for almost four years!" Naruto's despair was only fuelling the fire.

"I'll be leaving now. Have a good night, and get home safely." Itachi bid him goodbye, and ignored the blonde that was falling apart on the other side of the gate.

"_Itachi!_" Naruto cried, tears spilling down his face like waterfalls. But the raven was already out of hearing distance. The guards looked down at him cruelly, and Naruto felt like a part of his heart was missing.

-x-

When the blonde got home, he dove into his fort without taking off his shoes. He had completely forgotten about the lights in the village, and had only one thought in his head. _Itachi doesn't remember me_. He didn't know what had happened, and really didn't want to know. Naruto had been on top of the world only hours before, and now, he felt like he was at the bottom of the bottom.

"Why is this happening?" Naruto didn't expect an answer. The darkness only offered a silent reassurance that everything would turn out in his favour. He cried and cried until he was dried up, like the world would once be, Sakura would always say. She had been a firm believer in romance, and believed that you could only cry so much because of a relationship. And hell, why was he talking about her in past tense? This only brought on fresh tears, ones that he didn't know he'd had. When the tears finally ceased, a knock at his door jolted him out of his depressed staring contest with the wall. He wiped furiously at his nose, willing it to stop running. He opened the door, and wasn't surprised when two Anbu were behind it.

"Uzumaki Naruto, correct?" The Anbu with the spiked brown hair asked. _He probably only asked to be polite. I'm sure he already knows exactly who I am and has all the dirt on me._ Naruto nodded, feigning confusion.

"The Hokage has requested to see you." The second Anbu, with long red hair said. She was clearly a female.

"If you don't mind my asking, who holds the title of Hokage right now?" Naruto asked. He rubbed his eyes to avoid looking at the Anbu.

"The Fourth, Namikaze Minato." She answered in a tone that suggested Naruto was an idiot.

"Of course, it just slipped my mind!" The blonde grinned sheepishly, despite the shock he was feeling. _My father is the Hokage? Why is he alive?_

"Follow us, please." The brunette said.

"So, do you have any idea why I'm supposed to be seeing the Hokage?" Naruto questioned. Blonde strands of hair fluttered freely in front of his face, and he suddenly missed wearing his hitai-ate around his head, rather than around his neck. He had to admit though, that he looked much hotter with it around his neck. At least... Itachi had said so... He shook his head to rid himself of the painful thoughts and instead focused on what the red-head had been saying.

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" He could practically imagine the red-head rolling her eyes at his short attention span.

"I said that the Hokage didn't provide a reason." She muttered. Either her voice was muffled by the porcelain mask she had on, or she simply didn't want to speak to Naruto.

"Oh, alright. I'll stop asking questions now." Naruto flashed her a killer smile, to which she responded by missing her step and collapsing into the tree she'd been about to leap off of. Fortunately, Naruto had known this was going to happen and had stopped to catch her.

"Uhm, thank you." Her voice rose in pitch for every word she spoke, and Naruto grinned confidently. Her partner, however, was shaking in poorly contained laughter.

"You're very welcome." Naruto noted how unprofessional these two Anbu were acting, but brushed it off. They arrived at the Hokage's office in one piece, and the two waved Naruto off as he climbed the numerous steps. The blonde stopped in front of the Hokage's office door, and took a deep breath. He had only seen his father once, and that was when his seal had been about to break. Naruto was nervous, but was unsure as to whether his father would remember him or not. He wanted so badly for him to remember, because he needed something, or someone, to ground him. To keep him sane.

"Enter." Naruto shuddered when he heard his father's voice. His confidence was zapped away, but he stepped forward, turned the door knob, and watched his father's expression with the eyes of an eagle. It didn't seem to change much, only the slight creasing of brows.

"Hello." Naruto murmured. Minato's lips twitched slightly, but Naruto wasn't sure whether it was from amusement or displeasure.

"Hello, Naruto." Minato greeted. "You can sit down... if you want, of course." The older blonde quickly added, grinning sheepishly. Now Naruto knew where he got his awkwardness from.

"Sure." Naruto hesitantly smiled back and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He balled his hands into tight fists.

"I heard from two guards from the Uchiha compound tonight." Minato began, his hands forming a temple in front of his face as he concentrated. Naruto nodded, not sure where he was supposed to interrupt and say it had all been a misunderstanding.

"Is this really a matter for the Hokage to settle?" Naruto found himself blurting instead. He smacked his forehead, shutting his eyes in embarrassment. "Sorry." He squeaked.

"I'm afraid so. To be frank, I don't really care much about _who_ you're in love with, but it's important that the Uchiha clan feels reassured." Minato offered as a form of comfort. The so-called comfort only pierced his heart and gave him his answer. His father didn't remember him either. Naruto used all of his remaining willpower to keep from bursting into tears.

"Are you alright, Naruto? You look... upset." Minato commented. The younger blonde nodded, and put on a smile to reassure the Hokage. It didn't matter that his eyes were glassy, or that his face was pale, or that his lips quivered. As long as he had that smile on his face, it would be believable, right? Apparently not.

"Naruto," Minato began, but the blonde stopped him.

"...I'm fine." Naruto breathed. The older blonde looked like he was about to protest, but Naruto raised a hand to silence him.

"Okay... I've never seen you around here before." Minato said. The boy placed his head on his desk, and he didn't have the heart to tell the boy it was considered rude.

"I'm new, I guess." Naruto whispered. "Oh? Where are you originally from?" The Hokage asked.

"Konoha." Naruto replied almost instantly, and instantly regretted it too. "You just said you were new." Minato cocked his head in suspicion.

"I'm new to being a shinobi." Naruto lied smoothly. He had always been a good liar. He'd learned to lie to himself sometimes as well.

"And yet you're wearing the flak jacket of a Chuunin." Minato said in amusement. "I learn easily." Naruto provided.

"Sure you do." Minato chuckled. "So where are you _really _from?"

"What do you mean? I just said I'm from Konohagakure. I was b-born and r-raised here, and I've lived all of my l-life here." Naruto found himself tripping over the words that affected him personally.

"How old are you?" The Hokage asked.

"I'm 15." Naruto answered.

"And when were you born?" Minato questioned. Naruto pursed his lips, debating whether it would be a good idea to tell him the truth or not. "October 10." The older blonde didn't react the way Naruto had been expecting him to. He looked crest-fallen, and that was definitely an understatement.

"Did anything significant happen on the day I was born?" Naruto asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure whether the question would bring about anger or be classified as safe.

"My son was born." Minato clarified. Naruto leaned forward, intent on squeezing all of the details from him.

"Oh? So we should be the same age now, right?" Minato stiffened, but nodded.

"Maybe I can meet him someday." Naruto let the longing flood into his voice, despite knowing exactly what he was doing to his father. Minato's gaze fell on an empty picture frame he kept on his desk. He always pretended his wife and his child were staring back at him, smiles reaching their eyes. They weren't, though. He wasn't allowed to have pictures inside his office, but only for his wife's protection. His son wouldn't need any.

"He's dead." Minato bit out. He looked up to see the longing had vanished from Naruto's eyes. He hadn't meant to sound so cruel, but Naruto didn't seem to mind.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Naruto said respectfully. He only said it to be polite, because he knew Minato's son wasn't really dead. Minato's son was sitting right in front of him, but Minato didn't seem to realize. They looked startlingly similar. The older blonde didn't know what to say to that. He had never known. Do you say thank you? Thank you for saying something that has absolutely no point. Nothing you say can bring him back.

"Yeah." Minato closed his eyes for a moment, to give the sorrow he kept hidden a chance to escape. Naruto cleared his throat, and he was once again back where he started. Sick with grief.

"Did you have anything else to say?" Naruto asked. The younger blonde ran a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head in a gesture that was all too similar to his own. The idea suddenly dawned on Minato, but he preferred to ignore it rather than let the hope rise.

"Just stay away from the Uchiha clan, alright? They didn't like what they saw." Naruto nodded, and he finally dismissed the boy. The idea still lingered at the back of his head.

-x-

Naruto was once again inside his fort. It was now daytime, as he'd practically passed out when he finally got home from the Hokage's office. He stroked the orange pillow in his hand. It was the only thing that had stayed the same in this living nightmare. He'd pinched himself multiple times to make sure he wasn't dreaming. As a result, his arms were now peppered with red marks. He thought back on what he'd done the previous day. He'd woken up, went to the bathroom and completed his morning bathroom routine, ate breakfast, got dressed, did his hair, and left to see Itachi at the training field. They'd trained for three or four hours before heading to Ichiraku's, when they met up with Sasuke and his girlfriend Ino, both of whom happened to be Naruto's best friends. After finishing their lunch, Itachi had kissed him good-bye and headed back home. Naruto remembered visiting Sakura, who now worked at the hospital, and being smacked around a bit for his apparently disgusting fashion sense. The two had gone out for dinner at a nearby dango restaurant. Sakura hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist... and... nothing. What happened after? Her hot breath whispering in his ear, but he only heard three words. _I am sorry._

"I am sorry?" Naruto repeated. The sound of his own voice in his cozy apartment helped to comfort him. He leaned into the pillow, rubbing his cheek against the soft fabric.

"But for what?" The blonde asked himself. If he were standing up, he'd be pacing. He tapped his fingers against the mattress instead.

"Did she put me here?" Naruto sighed, and shook his head. "Not Sakura-chan. She wouldn't have the heart. Perhaps someone put her up to it?"

Naruto continued to speak to himself, until he finally noticed that someone was knocking on the door. The knocking faintly reminded him of Itachi. Cool and collected. But then again, Itachi had always let himself in. The blonde stood, straightened out the wrinkles in shirt, mussed up his hair, and headed in the direction of the door, calling out, "Hold on! I'm coming!"

He hastily threw open the door, the hope in his heart inflating to the size of a hot air balloon. There, standing in all of his glory, was Itachi Uchiha.

-x-

**Well then, what do you guys think? It's different, that's for sure. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to tell me. I'm pretty excited to be writing ItaNaru again. Cliff-hanger in the first chapter... what a shame. Haha. Love you guys!**


	2. Imagination

**Lots of dialogue, not enough description. Forgive me for the lateness.**

**-x-**

"Itachi-san." Naruto tried his hardest to keep relief from flooding his voice. The eldest Uchiha nodded, an almost apologetic expression on his face. He could feel his heart racing, and he strained to slow it down. His cheeks flushed an adorable red, and he nervously lifted a hand to cover the left side of his face.

"Naruto-kun... I apologize if I came off as rude earlier. Missions have only been getting harder these days, and frankly, I was so stressed that your disruption irritated me beyond belief. At any other time I wouldn't have reacted in the same way, I can assure you." Naruto avoided Itachi's gaze in fear of bursting into laughter. He wasn't used to hearing Itachi apologize so profusely. Usually just an 'I'm sorry' would do the trick. Itachi must have taken Naruto's reaction the wrong way, and only went on to explain himself further. Naruto raised the hand to his forehead, surprised by Itachi's insistence.

"...If I insulted you in any way, please don't hesitate to tell me so. I've been trying to-" The blonde finally got fed up and interrupted.

"Itachi-san, you really shouldn't be apologizing. I shouldn't have bothered you in the first place." Itachi's dark eyes widened. Naruto's supposedly reassuring statement only succeeded in feeding his guilt.

"No, no. Please accept my apology." Itachi tried again. Naruto looked down at his feet, contemplating his next move. When the blonde didn't answer, Itachi was forced to take action. "You were saying something about knowing me?"

Naruto lifted his gaze, a grin brightening his features. "I... was mistaken. I thought you were someone else." Either Naruto was a bad liar or Itachi was over observant. It was probably both. Itachi was an Anbu captain, after all.

"I don't believe you did. It couldn't have been just coincidence that you knew my name." The Uchiha said with a blank stare. Naruto felt a spark of anger igniting in his stomach.

"You said it yourself." Naruto replied. Itachi remained impassive, but his eyes narrowed slightly. The blonde hesitated before leaning forward. He wouldn't back down to Itachi.

"I wasn't thinking rationally." Itachi easily brushed the comment off. Naruto rolled his eyes. "I don't see why you're so interested. Anyways, I thought the Uchiha clan had forbidden me from coming into contact with you ever again."

"That may be true, but I was the one that approached you, wasn't I?" Itachi countered. He was dangerously close to smirking.

"I suppose so..." Naruto trailed off. He then realized how impolite he was being. "Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, thank you." Itachi stepped past the blonde, glancing around at the small apartment. It was in no way 'dull'. The walls had been painted a jet black that would have been depressing in any other situation. The furniture was either white or orange, which were beautifully accentuated by the black walls looming in the background. The floor was a sleek, dark wood. The whole apartment very closely resembled Halloween.

"Your interior decorating is... festive." Now smirking could not be helped. Naruto appeared crest fallen for a moment before his previous high spirits returned. He led Itachi into the living room, where he motioned for the Uchiha to sit down.

"So how did you find my apartment, anyways?" Naruto asked, appeasing his curiosity.

"I asked the Hokage." Itachi didn't seem to want to explain further, so Naruto didn't bother.

There was a comfortable silence after that, and neither was in a rush to break it. The only sound was... of the door being slammed open. The blonde jumped a mile high, but Itachi looked as if he'd been expecting it.

"Uchiha Itachi, you are _so _dead!" The young man bowed his head in an effort to hide his oncoming blush. Two sets of footsteps echoed through the hallway, and a voice was trying to convince the other to calm down. A man, who only appeared to be a couple years older than Itachi entered the room. He was closely followed by a man who looked to be about the same age if not for the grey hair.

"Obito, seriously. You're overreacting." The man with the spiked grey hair muttered.

"Kakashi! I was supposed to be keeping an eye on him, and _you _distracted me. So don't you '_Obito_' me." Obito replied. He turned to face the youngest two in the room.

"And _you_. Itachi, if I've told you once, I've told you a million times. You're going to get me fired!" Obito seemed to almost be whining.

"That's just an excuse to be a mother hen." Itachi voiced what Kakashi had been thinking.

"I am _not _a mother hen! Does it look like I have boobs to you?" Itachi's blush returned, and Kakashi face palmed. Sometimes Obito could say the most outrageous things without noticing.

"You _do_ have a curvy figure." Naruto commented. He was met with a fuming Obito standing over him. He was surprised at how similar Itachi and Obito looked.

"Listen, blondie. I can and will not hesitate to rip you to pieces." The young man glared. Naruto turned to look at his sensei. He watched how Kakashi reached around Obito's waist and pulled him away with ease. "Just calm down, Obi."

The dark haired man sighed as all of the fight drained out of him. "Let me know next time, Itachi."

Itachi nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry." Naruto smiled at those two words. That was the trademark apology he was used to. Straight to the point.

"This is Uzumaki Naruto." The younger Uchiha pointed at the blonde. "This is my _cousin _Uchiha Obito and his best friend Hatake Kakashi." He pointed at the two men who were standing awkwardly near the loveseat.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Naruto flashed them his kindest smile. His smile was returned tenfold by Obito. "I can only say the same for you." Kakashi merely nodded in greeting. The blonde had honestly never seen Kakashi as lively as he was seeing him now.

"You can sit down, if you'd like." Naruto gestured towards the loveseat. Kakashi looked down at it with a mischievous grin, while Obito rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'd like that. How about I sit next to you?" The oldest Uchiha didn't even wait for Naruto's answer. He took the seat next to the blonde with the least room. The grey haired ninja feigned disappointment as he sat on the loveseat by himself. Once again, there was a comfortable silence. It seemed Obito wanted a conversation, however, so he asked what they'd been talking about before he'd so rudely interrupted. He apologized soon after.

"It's alright... Uh, we'd been talking about..." The blonde looked over at Itachi for help. The raven had most likely been thinking of a cover story in his silence, as he quickly answered for Naruto.

"I recently became Naruto's tutor. Today was our first session."

The blonde in question gaped like a fish. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying attention to his reaction.

"Oh? What are you tutoring him in?" Kakashi asked out of curiosity. Itachi raised a brow. "Kakashi? Interested? That's a first."

"Hey! Only _I'm _allowed to insult him, twerp." Obito glared at his cousin. Itachi cocked his head as if to challenge Obito. "I'm tutoring him in practically everything."

"And by everything you mean..." Kakashi prompted, leaning his chin into his hands.

"Education, ninja basics, complex jutsu, training rituals..." Itachi trailed off, leaving the rest up to their imaginations.

"Oh. So what, is he an underachiever?" Kakashi questioned, studying the blonde.

"I am _not _an underachiever by any means." The blonde complained. Itachi sent him a doubtful look, which had him swearing up a storm.

"Man, he's worse than I am." Obito commented. He had migrated over to when Kakashi was sitting unnoticed. The grey haired ninja chuckled beneath his breath. "No, he's catching right up to you."

Obito raised his hand to slap Kakashi on the back of the head, and surprisingly the much stronger ninja let him. "Jerk."

"Sorry." Kakashi hesitantly wrapped an arm around the back of the couch. Obito stuck his tongue out. He may be 28, but he was still a child at heart. Itachi waved a hand at the blonde, immediately silencing him.

"Naruto-kun, I didn't mean for you to take it so seriously."

"Well I took it seriously alright..." Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms. The raven smirked at how irritated Naruto was. The blonde looked up at the clock hanging on the wall in front of him, and frowned.

"I think we've overstayed our welcome." Obito announced, having emerged from his own private world with Kakashi.

"No, no. You're welcome to stay as long as you like. A friend of Itachi-san's is a friend of mine." Naruto quickly batted away the eldest Uchiha's doubts.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Itachi risked a smile. For some unknown reason, Naruto didn't sway at the sight of Itachi's smile, like most other people. He seemed almost accustomed to it, like walking or breathing. Perhaps he was an extraterrestrial.

"Obito-baka and I are heading off. Thank you for your hospitality, Naruto-kun." Kakashi mumbled, as he escorted a protesting Uchiha out the door. When the two remaining inhabitants of the room heard the front door close, they let out a breath.

"So, you're my tutor?" Naruto asked, leaning back into the orange pillows that littered the seat he was on.

"It appears so. Back to our previous conversation..." Itachi sent the blonde a pleading look, which he knew he couldn't resist. He was wrong.

"I don't want to talk about that." The younger easily rejected the topic change, and instead stood to grab his coat and keys.

"Naruto-kun? What are you doing?" Itachi questioned. He expertly hid his surprise behind a stoic mask.

"I'm getting ready to head to Ichiraku's. Wanna come?" Naruto buttoned up his coat, and wrapped a roughly knitted yellow scarf around his neck. What brought together the whole outfit was his yellow and blue striped toque. The pom-pom was only a bonus.

"I really should be getting home." Itachi denied the request, and stood up to gather his own belongings. "Oh, and I'd put on another sweater if I were you."

"But you're not me." Naruto teased. He pursed his lips as he contemplated whether to follow Itachi's advice or not.

"Really, Naruto-kun. I'd prefer it if you did." Itachi half-glared, as he didn't have the heart to fully glare at the cheery blonde.

"Why? Worried?" He decided he would be fine, and ignored Itachi's attempt at mothering.

"It's cold." Itachi said shortly. "I'll be seeing you later on in the week for your tutoring lessons."

"Wait- what? Are you really going to tutor me?"

"Of course. It wouldn't be much of a cover then. Good bye." Itachi left the door open for when the blonde would leave shortly after. Naruto gazed at the empty hallway, one thought standing out to him out of the millions he processed.

_A cover for what?_

-x-

As Naruto inhaled his pork ramen, a feeling of sadness came over him again. He felt like he had the first time he'd met Itachi. He hadn't been able to name the feeling when he was nine, but now, at the age of 15, it was clear to him. Love. They call it love at first sight. He had been reintroduced to his own boyfriend and sensei. He held the precious memories, while they did not. He knew the story. Now he was absolutely _thrilled_ to meet the rest of his friends. At least he'd been introduced to Uchiha Obito. _What was that one quote Kakashi-sensei always used to say? Ah, yes. "Those in the ninja world who break the rules are scum, that's true... but those who abandon their friends are lower than scum."_

Obito was the first to say it. Kakashi would always get that sombre look on his face whenever he mentioned Obito, or Rin... or Minato-sensei. As a matter of fact, Naruto absolutely despised seeing that look on Kakashi's face. He only wanted content vibes from his sensei.

"So this is what I would want to happen. Could this be a figment of my imagination?..." Naruto murmured to himself, unaware that a girl was openly staring at him from across the stand. When he finally noticed the eyes piercing his forehead, he snapped his attention to the female. She had long, bubblegum hair and emerald eyes. A pang of despair reverberated through his whole being, and he found himself leaving his half finished bowl of ramen and heading back home. He didn't think he could handle another confrontation with a friend who didn't remember him. _I'm Uzumaki Naruto, believe it!_

"I never had respect. I earned respect. I lost it." Naruto had easily sunk to the brink of depression. His meeting with Itachi had merely numbed the heated feelings that had been bubbling inside. He was now back in his apartment, staring the dark hallway in the eye. At least, where he thought its eyes were. His scarf scratched roughly at his neck with every wrong movement. He wanted to burst into tears, but decided it wouldn't be wise. Instead, he settled for two whimpered words. He felt strange, like he was on the brink of catching a cold. Maybe he already had.

"This sucks."

He stood motionless for a while longer, until the unbearable heat of full winter attire inside an overheated home roasted him. He threw his coat, scarf, and toque on the ground. As he took a seat on his favourite couch, a glimpse of glass caught his eye. It was a picture frame. It wasn't _just _a picture frame, though. It had once held a picture of Itachi and Naruto. The blonde struggled to comprehend. He knew he didn't have enough information to come to the proper conclusion, but he just needed to think things through. After several minutes of silence, he came to the conclusion that he couldn't come to a conclusion. He sighed, having worn himself out with his frenzy. The ticking of the clock began to sound like a lullaby. His head swam with barely recognizable thoughts. His eyelids slid closed, and as sleep finally relieved him of his anguish, he let out another sigh that sounded startlingly similar to the words, "This double sucks."

-x-

The next day he woke with a splitting headache and sniffles. He tried to frown, but found that only worsened the pain. His eyes wandered to the window, and he wished he had superpowers. Maybe then he'd have extendable limbs, and he'd be able to crack open the curtains without disturbing the warmth that surrounded him. He snuggled deeper into his mountain of blankets as a series of shivers chilled his bones. A spark of hope burned to life when he heard his front door open. He would never admit it to anyone... well, except Itachi... but he wouldn't remember his confession, that he secretly imagined his mother visiting him whenever he was sick. He longed for her to place a cold hand on his feverish forehead, to tuck a stray piece of hair behind his ear, to prepare steaming chicken noodle soup, to nurse him back to health with the gentle care only a mother had. But she never came. Only, this time, she did.

"Hey there! You must be... Naruto-kun? Are you sick? No wonder Minato sent me..." Kushina trailed off, worry clear on her face. Naruto stared at her in silent shock before turning to face the opposite wall. _She's only a hallucination... as a result of the fever. Ignore her and she'll go away. She's not real, she's not-_

"You're burning up!" Her hand felt like ice against his forehead, and he unconsciously leaned into it. "Are you cold, sweetie?"

Once again, Naruto was surprised by the term of endearment. He nodded limply.

"Do you have any blankets? Or would you like a sweater instead?" She stood over him, placing her hands on her hips as she glared disapprovingly at his mess of a room.

"There's a linen closet right outside my bedroom door." Naruto rasped. Her red hair bounced in waves over her shoulders as she disappeared. When she came back, she carefully balanced a pile of blankets in her arms. With ease, she plucked the thickest blanket out of the bunch with one hand and laid it on his bed. She then pushed the clutter off of his desk and placed the pile on top of a discarded scroll.

"Tell me how you feel." She mumbled as she concentrated on tucking the blanket around the blonde to preserve the heat his body so badly needed. Naruto wriggled against the tight hold the blankets had over him.

"My head hurts, and I'm positive I have a fever. My stomach feels kind of... I don't know. Messed up." Naruto replied, raising a brow when she added a second blanket.

"Like a tornado, right?" Kushina chuckled beneath her breath. Naruto laughed along with her, wincing when the pain spiked. He liked the sound of her laugh. It was loud and full of emotion.

"Exactly like that. So, who might you be?" Naruto asked the question he knew he add to ask in order to avoid suspicion. He obviously already knew who she was, she was his mom for goodness sakes, but she didn't know that.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have introduced myself earlier... I got carried away, you know? Well, I'm Uzumaki Kushina. I'm also the wife of Minato, the Fourth Hokage."

"Wow. And why are you here?" Naruto stuttered as he added, "N-not that I'm not grateful for your help, just c-curious."

Kushina winked at the blonde, running a hand through his damp hair. "Minato wanted me to check on you, and it's a good thing he did!"

"Ah, I see." Naruto was certain that his stomach rumbling caused nearby earthquakes. The redhead tried to feign surprise, but ended up in peals of laughter instead.

"You've got quite the appetite, much like my own. Would you like me to make you something to eat?" She asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. Naruto took notice of how frequently she laughed. It made him happy.

"I would like that. I only have one thing though..." Naruto trailed off, his cheeks flushing for a reason separate from the fever.

"Oh? What might that be?" Kushina was now focusing on organizing his room. She shovelled the clothes on the floor into a corner of his room.

"Instant ramen." This was one of the only times in his life that he regretted his unhealthy obsession with ramen. Kushina shook her head in amusement before announcing her next order of duty. "I'll be back in an hour or so. I'm going to restock your fridge, bring you back medicine, and make you a _healthy _meal. Maybe I'll have a go at cleaning your apartment after." She decided to save her reprimands for later.

"Oh, you really don't have to, Kushina-san." Naruto frowned. Kushina rolled her eyes, buttoning up her coat again.

"I _want _to. It's a mother's instinct, after all."

_This broke Naruto's heart._

**-x-**

**Yo. I apologize for my unnecessary lateness. As you may have noticed before, I am a major procrastinator. I am going to be **_**so **_**screwed in High School. I promise you guys that I'll work on it. So I'm not going to offer any more excuses, as they are invalid. I took too long, and I've realized this. Anyways I hope you understand, and maybe liked the chapter. Please review. Tell me how much you hate it when I take forever. That way I'll work harder, Haha. I love you guys for the reviews so far.**

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	3. Crazy

**Sorry for the lateness. Chapter probably sucks. I like the ending the best. Have fun!**

**-x-**

"**If you see a friend without a smile, give him one of yours."**

**[Proverb]**

**-x-**

"Incoming News: The Common Cold strikes again!"

Naruto mumbled to himself in an effort to cheer himself up. Kushina had been gone for almost an hour, and his cold was beginning to take its toll on him. He weakly lifted himself out of bed, cursing his failure to follow Itachi's advice. He should have known better than to ignore it. With a soft whimper, his bare feet made contact with the icy tile. The cold soothed his fever and sent shivers up his spine. When the shock passed, he took small steps towards his bedroom door which had been shut by his mother. "To make sure no cold air gets in." She'd stated matter-of-factly. How someone could get so sick overnight was unknown to him. Suddenly, dying in your sleep didn't quite seem as silly to him as it had before. He opened the door, taking in the white light filtering down the hallway. Kushina must have opened the blinds. He reached the kitchen, coughing fits racking his body in two minute intervals. As he was taking a seat at the kitchen table, the front door opened. In came a redhead, towing bags full of groceries and other miscellaneous items behind her. Then came the person he was least looking forward to seeing in his state. Uchiha Itachi. To be frank, he really hadn't expected a visit so soon.

"Hello, Kushina-san, Itachi-san." Naruto greeted in the sweetest tone he could manage. Kushina smiled brightly in response, already working on the task she'd previously vowed to complete.

Ah, Naruto-kun," The raven smirked, apparently amused by Naruto's disarrayed appearance. "I hate to say it... but-"

"Then don't. Please. I know I should have listened to you, and I know I look about as good as I feel." Naruto interrupted. Itachi's amusement only peaked as a result of the blonde's rash interruption. He crossed his arms as he took the seat Naruto was hovering over.

"I wouldn't have noticed your appearance had you not pointed it out to me." Itachi pointed out, looking smug. The blonde rolled his eyes, already fed up with Itachi and his ego.

"Okay, Itachi-san. Whatever you say." Naruto mumbled. He ran a hand through his hair in an effort to tame his wild spikes. "Why are you here, anyways?" After a warning glare from Kushina, he added a "Not that I mind."

"I happened to bump into Kushina-san at the market, and she mentioned you being ill." The raven lazily crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. Naruto raised a brow at the answer. "So what, you decided you'd come and rub it in my face?"

"Pretty much." Itachi agreed with a shrug. Naruto attempted a glare, but was once again foiled in his attempt to do so. Kushina had called his name, beckoning towards an ugly brown bottle that promised recovery and a bitter taste.

"You need some medicine, young man."

Naruto huffed in annoyance, but like the good momma's boy he was, he obediently left to take his medicine. When the unpleasant taste filled every nook and cranny of his mouth, he scrunched his nose in disapproval. Judging by Kushina's laughter, his facial expressions must have been rather comical.

"It's not funny. Seriously." Naruto complained, albeit grinning. He felt his heart flutter as he watched Itachi's lips curl into a smile. Even though his mouth no longer gaped and his eyes no longer widened, he still felt the surprise that came with that smile.

"Aw, you're just too cute." Kushina managed through huffs of air. Naruto smiled cheekily at her. A warmth had filled his heart when he saw the two of them smiling at him. He'd missed both of their smiles. The blonde was about to retort with, "It comes from you, Okaa-san," but stopped himself before the words could spill from his mouth. _She doesn't know she's your mother_.

"Y-yeah, thanks..." Naruto tried for a grin, but in fear of appearing fake settled for a grimace.

"Hey... are you alright, Naruto-kun?" Kushina asked. She tilted her head to the side, making her red locks tumble over her shoulders in waterfalls. And Naruto just missed hismom _so _much. He felt tears pooling in the corners of his eyes, and looked down at the ground in embarrassment. He was a fifteen year old boy! He was fairly certain he was no longer a child, so why was he on the verge of crying? _It's the cold._ Pale fingers wrapped around his arm, and he admired the beautiful contrast their skin tones made. Itachi shook him lightly, easily catching his attention.

"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" The blonde wanted to tell them both how much he missed them, but that would only result in confusion. They had only met a _few _days ago, after all.

"Nothing's wrong. Well, at least nothing other than this outrageous cold." Naruto lied. He forced a reassuring smile onto his face, but he could tell neither bought it.

"I don't believe you. However, I won't push you." Itachi said coolly. The blonde nodded, suddenly finding interest in the wall nearest to them.

"...How do you feel?" Kushina's voice had softened considerably. When Naruto turned to face her, he saw genuine concern in her eyes.

"I'm a lot better, thanks." Naruto bit out. He hadn't wanted to sound rude, but he didn't want his... mother... his boyfriend... to see him in this state.

"Alright, uh, the food should be ready in about ten minutes. Why don't you and Itachi go and clean up?" The red head suggested. Naruto nodded absently, heading towards the bathroom. He heard soft footsteps behind him but didn't bother to acknowledge them. Instead of hastily shutting the door in Itachi's face like he'd wanted to do, he was forced to share a bathroom with the stoic Uchiha.

"Couldn't you have waited for me to wash my hands first?" Naruto muttered.

"No." Itachi replied. The raven stuck his hands in the spray of water just as Naruto did, causing their fingers to brush against each other. The blonde jolted away in shock while Itachi stared at him with an odd expression.

"Y-you can go first, 'Tach- I mean... Itachi. Itachi-san." Naruto bit his lip to keep from babbling. The tears in his eyes were multiplying with the speed of sound, and within seconds they were falling at the same rate. Naruto swore in horror, wiping the backs of his hands frantically against his eyes to halt the steady flow. Itachi grabbed his wrists, beads of water rolling down their arms.

"Stop. You could seriously injure yourself." He reprimanded with a deep frown on his face. Naruto shook his head, a laugh building up in his stomach at the cruel irony of the situation.

"And that's what I always used to tell you..." He mumbled beneath his breath. Itachi didn't appear to register his mumble, but Naruto was surprised when he was pushed away.

"I knew it. You were lying when you said it was all a mistake. It wasn't, Naruto-kun." Itachi was honestly frustrated. Naruto's behaviour had been rubbing him the wrong way. There was something seriously wrong going on with Naruto, and he was determined to find out. There wasn't a very important reason as to why he was doing such a thing, except for Naruto being... _different_. Everything in his life was always the same. Kill another bad guy, Itachi. Train me again, Itachi. Another 100%, Itachi. His life was like a math equation, and Naruto was his missing variable.

"You know what? I'd really appreciate it if you could_ leave me alone_." Naruto snapped, pulling his hands away. His previous misery had been quickly replaced by white anger. The Uchiha's face was blank, not even a clue as to how he was internally reacting.

"If you wish." Itachi said in a monotone. He reached for the orange hand towel, staring Naruto in the eyes as he dried his hands. The air in the room felt almost suffocating. _It's like I'm drowning in air._

The raven left without a glimpse backwards. Naruto heard him apologize to Kushina in the kitchen, and the door slammed. Before he could fall apart, Naruto called out to his mother that he needed a shower to cool off. Kushina voiced her disapproval, but eventually allowed it. Naruto took a deep breath, staring down at his hands.

"Oh god, oh god. No, no, no... come _back._" Naruto cried, pulling his hair in frustration. "I'm tired of this. I don't want this anymore. I want to go home, please, let me go home... I don't want this." His sight blurred into an artist's palette, smears of colours.

"I _want to go home._" Naruto screamed. Maybe if he shouted loud enough God would finally hear him and take pity on him. He didn't understand why he wasn't just left to live in peace. He could hear Kushina's voice outside of the door, but in his panic he couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Get out!" The blonde shouted. He couldn't take his eyes off of the tortured man in the mirror. His face turned a fascinating red and tear tracks lined his cheeks. In his mind he pictured his friends, his precious friends he had worked so hard to gain. He pictured Kakashi-sensei, and Sasuke, and Sakura, and Itachi. And oh god, his heart clenched and his stomach flipped and all he could do was cry. He was so weak, but it hurt so much. Everything he once had was suddenly replaced, and now he had to start over again. It was too much work to gain everyone's affection. In fact, he had to save the village from complete destruction to acquire some respect. He was so tired of being treated like dirt, like a monster. If he was a monster HE would have killed all of those people. But it wasn't him. He saved them. The nine-tails killed them. He'd once had it stuck in his head that he was the monster who had murdered innocent villagers, but with help from Itachi, Sasuke, Sakura, Tsunade, Iruka, and Kakashi, he was able to change. His stomach gave another painful lurch, and he fell to his knees in his despair.

"Just what am I supposed to do? I need help! I'm just a kid, I can't do this all alone..." Naruto whispered as he crawled towards the shower. Maybe he needed to follow his own advice and cool off in the shower. He could tell he was burning off by his lack of strength and the shivers that racked his bones every time he moved. With a howl of anguish, he collapsed onto the tiled floor. All he wanted to do was curl up into a ball, and maybe cry himself to sleep. He knew he was showing his weakness, but he didn't care. He didn't care that he'd hurt his boyfriend and his mother in his outburst. He was too tired to care. A trembling hand reached up and turned the handles enough for a spray of hot water to burn his skin. He liked the feeling. The fire held him together. He curled up on the floor, water flooding his ears and his eyes. The soft splashing of water was all he could hear. All he wanted to hear. The warmth relaxed his sore muscles, and he found himself dozing in and out of sleep. While it was new for him to fall asleep in the shower, his exhaustion as a result of the emotional distress and his cold couldn't be ignored. He faintly realized he hadn't taken off his clothes. They weighed more while sopping wet. He took a deep shuddering breath as sleep held him in her arms.

He felt cold. To be more precise, he was chilled to the bone. His eyes snapped open in shock, darting around to make sense of what he was seeing, feeling, and hearing. He could see the ceiling and... The shower head? The shower head was on, and there were sprays of water washing over his body. He could feel the smooth, slippery tile beneath his back, and the icy water rising around him. He heard the rumble of the liquid hitting the floor. He slowly lifted himself out of the miniature pool he had created, and looked dazedly around him. He couldn't remember why he'd woken up in the shower, anyways. It was all a mess of colours... colours and emotions. He didn't feel quite as sick as he'd been feeling in the morning, and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized his fever was gone. He stood and reached out to turn off the shower. His shivers, unfortunately, had only worsened and he had a hard time wrapping himself in a towel. His clothes were absolutely drenched; not one dry thread. When he deemed it safe enough to exit the shower stall, he took a hesitant step towards the door. He wasn't sure what would await, but took a leap of faith.

The hallway was quiet, but most off all, it was dark. The darkness was the worst part. His heavy footsteps echoed throughout his whole apartment, adding to the eeriness of the situation. When he reached the kitchen, the rush of memories almost landed him on the floor. He shook his head in denial. He hadn't done all that, had he? He didn't... tell his own flesh and blood mother to get out. The mother he'd never gotten to meet? And he certainly hadn't told his first and only boyfriend to leave him alone?

But there was the evidence... three untouched bowls of soup lying on the kitchen table.

"I screwed up." Naruto whispered, and the darkness ridiculed him.

-x-

Valentine's Day was coming up in a week or so, and Naruto wasn't surprised when red hearts covered almost every surface in the marketplace. He was surprised, however, when he saw Haruno Sakura sitting in his usual spot at Ichiraku's. Naruto figured he'd have to introduce himself to her eventually, so he took the seat beside her. Not wanting to spread any germs, he leaned to the side. It had been three days since his little (Or not so little) outburst.

"Hi." He said with a grin. She turned to face him, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity. To be honest, he hadn't been expecting to see curiosity, but annoyance.

"Hello." She replied, a small smile on her face. Naruto scrambled for a conversation starter, and chose to introduce himself.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto." He mumbled, ducking his head in embarrassment. Sakura's cheeks were stained red when he looked up. "Haruno Sakura. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," He nodded. She seemed to process his words for a minute before turning back to her bowl of ramen to avoid awkwardness. The blonde leaned his chin into his hands, craning his neck so he could look her in the eyes.

"Do you come here often?" He asked in the hopes of saving their conversation. She slowly shook her head, brushing a strand of bubblegum hair behind her ear. "I only discovered this place a couple days ago. Ever since then, I've come here every day." A grimace formed on her face before she continued. "Now that just makes me seem fat."

"Yeah, it does." Naruto agreed, chuckling beneath his breath. Sakura shot him a glare, to which she responded with, "But you're not fat."

Sakura's expression softened and she looked at the blonde in amusement. "Are you just going to sit here and talk? Or are you going to order some ramen?"

Naruto rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly before calling on Old man Teuchi.

"Well, hello there! I see you're back again." He said with a warm smile. Naruto's lips quivered, but he ordered anyways. "Miso pork ramen, please."

"Sure!" Teuchi turned around to fix up Naruto's meal. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and saw Sakura frowning. "Are you alright?" The blonde was almost touched by her concern. In... He didn't even know what to call it. Sakura would have told him to suck it up back _then_. That should do.

"I'm fine, thanks." Naruto plastered on a grin, feeling his cheerful exterior fading.

"So... do _you _come here often?" Sakura asked, eyeing him with an eyebrow raised.

Naruto winced as he answered. "Let's just say I'm a big fan of ramen."

"Oh?" Sakura prodded further. The blonde scrunched up his nose.

"Yeah, I've traveled a lot. I've been... obsessed, really, ever since I tried it in Suna." When Sakura furrowed her brows in confusion, he realized he'd made a mistake. He just didn't know what that mistake was.

"Suna?" The pinkette questioned. Naruto coughed into his hand, stalling for time as he thought of an answer. Maybe Suna didn't exist in this... dimension or whatever it was. Maybe... maybe Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro lived in Konoha.

"Oh, it's just a restaurant." The blonde laughed nervously, but Sakura seemed to buy it.

"Oh, I see." She nodded slowly as she took the time to think it through. He found himself really liking this Sakura. Not that he didn't like _his _Sakura, but this one really took the time to listen to and understand what he said.

"So, it's Valentine's Day soon, eh?" Naruto wiggled his eyebrows, resulting in Sakura's sweet peals of laughter. Old man Teuchi placed a steaming bowl of ramen in front of him. He winked, and leaned forward to whisper. "Good luck with the miss."

Sakura must have had super hearing, as she was reduced to a red-faced, stuttering mess. "O-Oh, no, Teuchi-san. We're not t-together."

"Yeah, we just met." Naruto explained, fighting off the blush that threatened to make an appearance. Teuchi chuckled deeply, thoroughly enjoying the embarrassment he'd caused the two teenagers.

"I was just teasing. Enjoy your date- I mean meals." He waved a hand around for emphasis. Sakura huffed in her seat, while Naruto grinned at one of his favourite people in the village. For a moment, it seemed just like normal. But of course, something always had to happen to ruin his happiness. Along came a Uchiha, taking the seat on Sakura's other side.

"_Ah. Hello, Sasuke-kun."_

**-x-**

**Yo. Don't kill me, please. Thank you guys so much for the reviews. Oh yeah, in case you haven't noticed, I'm incorporating American/Canadian/Whatever country celebrates holidays like mine, holidays into this. You guys are kick-ass so please don't hate me. WTF IS GOING ON WITH SAKURA AND SASUKE. Love you guys so much!**

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**YamiPimpster: Haha, you made me almost pee my pants. I laugh pretty easily, but whatever. You made my day. Thank you for reviewing! And yep, it's like... half AU. Oh yeah, FTW: "****I'll try and force my friends to read this but they're more sasunaru or ...loveless****."**

**In The Mix: DUN DUN DUN indeed. Yeah, that's probably going to happen eventually, but not before a couple plot twists! Aw, I know. I'm so excited too. When I was writing this chapter I was like... "When can they start saying I love you again?" Thank you for reviewing! You make me very happy.**

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	4. Why

**Hello children. Read on! And read the Author's Note at the end if you dare.**

**-x-**

"**Dreams are answers to questions we haven't yet figured out how to ask."**

**[X-Files]**

**-x-**

"_Ah. Hello, Sasuke-kun."_

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, falling into the chair and leaning his head on the counter. Sakura reached out a hand to stroke through his thick ebony locks, and to Naruto's surprise, he let her.

"Rough day?" She asked softly, cupping her chin in her hand and turning around to roll her eyes at Naruto. "He's had a rough day every day this year." She whispered to the blonde. Naruto nodded dumbly, watching the interaction between the two. Sasuke didn't appear annoyed, and Sakura didn't seem particularly interested. It was so unlike his _real _friends that he couldn't take his eyes off of them.

"Yeah." Sasuke replied, sighing deeply. At least his broodiness hadn't completely disappeared. "Oh? What happened now?" Sakura snorted, giving Naruto a small smile.

"Itachi's just being... moody, for lack of a better word. He won't even let me know what caused it." Sasuke lifted his head, as if only now realizing that there was another person nearby. Sakura noticed this and immediately introduced the two. "Sasuke-kun, this is Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto-kun, this is Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto offered a gentle smile, only receiving a nod in response. _That _was more like it.

"So how do you two know each other?" The blonde said, initiating a conversation. Sakura extracted her hand from Sasuke's hair and went back to slurping her ramen, leaving the young Uchiha to answer his question.

"Sakura and I went to school together, and were on the same team as Genin." Sasuke replied, inputting as little possible effort.

"Oh, that's interesting. So who was your third teammate?" Naruto asked. Sasuke's brows furrowed slightly, but he turned his whole body to face Naruto completely. The blonde looked down at his untouched ramen, examining the contents.

"Sai." Naruto stilled, taking in the name. How ironic. When it had once been Sasuke being replaced, it was now Naruto. After Itachi retrieved Sasuke from Orochimaru, the young Uchiha succeeded in making another escapade. Apparently his thirst for power had not been quenched. He was gone for nearly three years. Meanwhile, Naruto left for two years to train with his godfather, Jiraiya. He spent one year with Sai, the root division's replacement for Sasuke.

"I see..." The blonde mumbled, prodding at his ramen with his chopsticks. He finally took a bite, and an explosion of flavour burned his taste buds. He loved it.

"So, how did you and Sakura meet?" Sasuke asked quickly, not leaving Naruto time to ask any more questions. The blonde turned his head, watching Sasuke from behind Sakura. The pinkette ducked her head, allowing the two males to see each other clearly.

"We just met, actually." Naruto answered, taking another mouthful of noodles. Sasuke nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Are you new to the village?"

The blonde raised a finger to stall Sasuke. When all the food in his mouth had been chewed thoroughly and swallowed, he spoke. "I was born here, and moved away when I was about a year old. I only came back to the village a few days ago. My parents were killed while on a mission."

"I'm sorry to hear that. How did you get here? Have you spoken to the Hokage yet?"

Naruto raised a brow at Sasuke's onslaught of questions. "It's okay. And I walked, obviously. There isn't another form of transportation, is there? Yes. I spoke to the Yondaime very briefly and was cleared."

Sasuke glared at the blonde's discrete insult. "Yes, how foolish of me."

Naruto smirked and opened his mouth to retaliate, but it was quickly shut when a loud blaring noise replaced his voice. "What's that?" He shouted over the chaos that had sprung. Sakura's eyes held fear, but deep inside was an impenetrable determination. A determination that every ninja had; the determination to protect those around them.

"Alarms. Someone has set off the alarms." She said, startling Naruto as she climbed on top of the counter. "This is not a drill! Do not panic! Shinobi, head to the Hokage tower. The Fourth is requesting a meeting. Anyone else... follow protocol and report to your designated safe locations!" The scrambling villagers paused to listen and comprehend. "We will protect you with our lives." Sakura shouted with a nod. The villagers smiled gratefully before hurrying on their way to Kami knows where.

"S-Sakura? How did you know the Hokage was requesting a meeting?" The blonde questioned, staring wide eyed as the area cleared out. Sakura took Sasuke's offered hand and hopped down. She winked and tapped her temple teasingly. "Secret."

"Sakura, why don't we head to the meeting now?" Sasuke suggested in a stony tone. His eyes hardened to match his tone of voice.

"And Naruto. What about Naruto-kun?" She said, sounding surprised. Naruto chuckled beneath his breath, eying Sasuke suspiciously. "I've been given my Hitai-ate, see? I'm a capable ninja."

"What are you, a genin?"

"There's a saying that goes 'Don't judge a book by its cover'. Ever heard of it, Sasuke? Ignore my _assumed_ idiocy and focus on my abilities, alright?" Naruto sneered. "Oh, and I _am_ a genin, for your information. I haven't been able to take the Chuunin exams yet due to my constant travelling."

"Ch. Whatever. Let's go." Sasuke snapped. Sakura sent Naruto a sympathetic look as she followed behind Sasuke. When she finally realized Naruto wasn't walking beside her, she turned around. There were no traces left of the blonde.

-x-

The wail of the sirens continued to ring in the village. Naruto took a deep breath of air, sticking his hands in his pockets. He didn't understand what was going on, and wasn't planning on finding out. If enemy ninja were attacking Konoha... there was nothing he could do. It was only his imagination after all... right? He passed by an empty civilian run store, watching a pair of wind chimes get tossed about by the wind. He couldn't hear the melody, not with those sirens blaring. He ground beneath his feet was worn from the footsteps of villagers. If he thought about it, was a metaphor for his heart. His heart was the ground, and the villagers were trampling on it. Not just the villagers, but his mother and father, Sasuke, and Itachi. Sakura wasn't so bad, but he'd never admit that out loud. He ached for his old life. He wanted to wake up back at home, almost blending into his sheets from how tightly he had them pressed against his body. Then Itachi would walk in, order him out of bed, and proceed to make him breakfast fit for a king. That's what he felt like back home. Like he was the king. The happiest, luckiest guy in the world, and nothing could rain on his parade. Now, he'd been stripped of all of his comforts. The comfort of his boyfriend, the comfort of his friends, the comfort of the villagers' acceptance, the comfort of being regarded as a hero. He'd accomplished so much, and he didn't know how he was still living. He realized he'd become too dependent on others. He needed people to know him, he needed their friendship and the warmth of their love. He felt so vulnerable in this new place he didn't know how to escape. He didn't seem to know much of anything in this place, as a matter of fact. Though there were a lot of good things... it couldn't make up for what he'd had.

"Naruto-kun?" Said the voice he lived for. He only now realized that the alarms had faded into the silence of the night. The blonde focused on Itachi's black eyes. He felt like he was suffering from Itachi withdrawal. The more he thought into it, the more he sounded like a heartbroken little girl, so he shook the stray thoughts away.

"Hello." He greeted softly. The older teenager stepped forward. The darkness behind Itachi seemed to follow him.

"Why are you not at the meeting?" He asked.

Naruto shrugged, not bothering to come up with an excuse. "Why are _you _not at the meeting?"

"I'm on patrol..." Itachi trailed off.

The blonde nodded, pretending to participate in the conversation. Itachi narrowed his eyes, coming closer.

"Why are you acting so strange?" The raven questioned. By now, the darkness had completely covered Itachi. Not even the moon light could erase it.

"I don't feel like acting anymore. I'm depressed." He said bluntly. Itachi did not appear to be surprised.

"Why?" This time, it was the blonde who took a step closer. The dark shrunk back.

"Can you stop asking why?" His laugh was humourless and empty.

"No. You're too complicated to figure out on my own." Itachi spared a smirk, tilting his head slightly.

"There's nothing complicated about me." Naruto retorted. They were an arm's length apart now.

"Nonsense. You're more complex than those impossible questions that are always being asked." Itachi teased. Naruto felt his heart flutter and his cheeks burn. He was so proud to have an attractive boyfriend like him.

"Like... why am I alive? Does God exist? Is true love real?" The blonde said, crossing his arms.

"Exactly like those." The raven agreed, allowing his previous concern to make an appearance.

"What do you really want?" Naruto asked. Their shared moment had disappeared along with the teasing.

"I came to look for you." He replied honestly. He found no reason to lie. It would not benefit him in any way.

"Why?"

"You've piqued my interest." He answered. The blonde shut his eyes, lowering his head.

"I'm glad, Itachi-san." He opened his eyes, revealing blue orbs brimming in tears. "I always knew... we'd get along."

"You're crying..." Itachi commented softly. He reached out for the blonde, placing a hand in his mop of sunny hair.

_You taught me to always let it out._ "No, I'm not."

"What's wrong?" The raven asked after a moment of silence. And Naruto stared at him. He wished he could pour everything out, but he knew how crazy it would make him sound. It's not every day that you meet someone who knows- who loves you from a parallel universe or another dimension or whatever the hell this was.

"I can't tell you. I really wish I could, Itachi-san. I want to get rid of this burden, and I want you to help me figure it out, because you always have the answer. You've always had it, Itachi-san." He said as his heart clenched.

"Naruto-kun, I don't know you very well, but remember that I'm always there to listen." Itachi finally gave in to his brotherly instincts '_At least I think that's what they are_' and pulled the blonde into his arms. Naruto clutched onto his shirt, letting out a small whimper.

"It's okay, It's okay." Itachi cooed, leaning his chin on the top of Naruto's head. "Don't cry anymore."

"Th-thank y-you. B-But I w-wasn't c-crying." The blonde stuttered. The raven rubbed circles on his back, making soft, reassuring noises. Naruto stood still, relishing in the warmth of his boyfriend's arms around him.

"Are you okay now?" Itachi asked. He found himself rocking from side to side, a motion that he'd always found comforting as a child.

"Yeah... man, that's so embarrassing." Naruto chuckled, reluctantly stepping away from the taller man.

"A bit. Grown men shouldn't cry." Itachi said in a monotone. The blonde spared a glance at him to check if he was serious or not. He saw pure amusement in his dark eyes, and stuck out his tongue.

"I'm still a minor! And I wasn't crying!" He protested loudly. In an instant, the guilt he'd been feeling ever since he'd told off his mother and boyfriend came back. "Listen, Itachi-san... I apologize for the way I've acted recently. I've been moping, angry, and confused about... a personal matter, shall we say? I've got nothing against you, so please accept my apology. I don't want you to be upset with me."

"It's alright. I was a bit troubled by your behaviour, to be honest. You'd seemed so happy the first time we met. And I'm not talking about that night you came looking for me." Itachi said. "But really, Naruto-kun. I'm here for you if you ever need anything. You live by yourself, correct?"

Naruto nodded, surprised by the sudden question.

"You should come over some time so I can introduce you to my younger brother. You're about the same age." Itachi proposed, gracing the blonde with a smile.

"Oh, Sasuke, right? We've already been introduced." Naruto grinned as fond memories of him and Sasuke resurfaced.

"Oh? When was this?" The raven asked, raising a brow.

"About an hour ago, actually."

"Speaking of an hour ago... why don't we head over to that meeting?"

"Wouldn't it be over by now?" Naruto asked in confusion. Meetings typically last a half an hour or less in Konoha. He began to walk towards the Hokage tower anyways.

"No, it's a drill. He goes through practically every miniscule detail." Itachi replied, falling into step beside him.

"But Sakura-chan said it wasn't a drill..."

"It's a drill. We have one every week." The Uchiha said.

"Every week! Why?" The blonde repeated incredulously. Itachi stared at him in surprise. "The Akatsuki is out for our Tailed beast."

"Your tailed beast? Who's the Jinchuuriki?"

"Subaku Gaara."

"G-Gaara?" Naruto sputtered. No, no, no. He didn't want to relive those horrible memories. He didn't want to watch the redhead die again. He didn't want to see Granny Chiyo sacrifice her life. He didn't want to face the Akatsuki, and he didn't want to see blood splattered on every smooth surface. He didn't want that. Then, a different train of thought entered his head. The Akatsuki needed the nine tails too, didn't they? But he had the nine tails. And no one knew that.

"What about the nine tails?" Naruto asked. Itachi stopped walking, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "As villagers of the Hidden Leaf, we have sworn an oath to never repeat that creature's name again." That struck a chord in Naruto, and he felt anger pulsing through him. "Where is it?"

"What do you mean, where is it?" Itachi muttered, "It hasn't reappeared for years. Since the Third Shinobi World War."

"Was it sealed into a person, is what I mean." The blonde replied. He didn't understand why the nine tails was so hated, other than the obvious reason.

"Yes... into the Fourth Hokage's son." Itachi answered warily. "Why do you ask?"

"Shouldn't the Fourth be... d-dead then?"

"No? He's alive and well, which is all that matters."

Throughout their intense conversation, they hadn't noticed the sound of metal clashing, of pained cries, and of repeated crashing into inanimate objects. "What's going on?" Naruto asked in panic. He watched as a body was thrown through the air and collided with a wall. A trail of blood followed the body as it slid down without an indication that it was alive.

"I-Itachi? You said it was a drill!" Naruto screamed as he ran for the limp body. When he arrived, he couldn't hold back a grimace. The person had clearly passed. They had several puncture wounds and fresh burns covered their arms. He didn't recognize what village they came from. He stripped off his jacket, placing it over the body in a sign of respect. "Let's go, Itachi!"

The two ran into the battlefield, avoiding kunais, shuriken, swords, and jutsu. By the time they reached the source of the battle, they were drenched in sweat... and blood. Surrounding them was hell on earth. Naruto watched as Itachi disappeared, off to perform a heroic deed or another. The blonde locked eyes with an enemy, and immediately withdrew a kunai. The enemy rushed him, and he focused on solely his opponent. He was a man who appeared to be in his late 20's. He had piercing hazel eyes and shaggy black hair. Why he was noticing their appearance was a mystery to Naruto as well. His opponent unsheathed a sword, and their weapons clashed, sending a vibration up Naruto's arms. He threw his kunai at his opponent while he flipped backwards in an effort to create some space.

"Shadow clone jutsu!" A clone appeared beside him, emerging from a cloud of smoke. Together they charged at their opponent. They switched directions every few seconds to avoid being too predictable, his clone faked left and immediately spun around to his right, successfully tripping the man. The man grabbed a hold of Naruto's leg, pulling him down to the ground. He felt his head collide with the concrete. Darkness invaded his vision. What felt like a few moments later, the blonde opened his eyes and rolled over. The man was struggling to stand, as it looked like he'd fractured his leg when he fell. Naruto felt bad for what he was about to do, but he knew this man was out for blood, and he would not let him harm any villagers. He climbed onto the man's back, cradled his chin in one hand, and held the back of his head with the other. He felt the man struggling fervently but with a sharp twist of his hold, the man went limp. He looked up at the top of the Hokage tower, where the Fourth was positioned. He was rapidly forming hand signs Naruto didn't recognize. The blonde couldn't even see his father's opponent. He craned his neck to get a better look, and was met with a streak of orange in the sky. It blinded him for a minute, and when his eyes finally adjusted to the harsh exposure of light, he noticed black shadows emerging from the brightness. He watched as the orange fell from the sky, taking the shape of a burning, fiery rock. The black shadows became people. Enemies. Headed for his father. He immediately stood, running with all of his energy towards the Fourth. He summoned his chakra to his feet and ran up the wall, ignoring the carnage below him. The roof of the tower blocked his view of his father momentarily. He desperately hoped he could get there in time. Why was there no one guarding the Hokage? Who was attacking them? Where was everyone? Where was that rock? Who were those shadows? He had too many questions and no answers. He reached the roof in record timing, stumbling slightly as he tried to slow himself down.

Flames littered the roof, but there was no smoke rising. There was no sign of the mammoth rock he'd seen falling from the sky. Perhaps he was losing his mind. He spared a glance at the battle going on below. Blood had practically bathed the area. Shinobi were fighting in clumps, using their numbers to their advantage. He was shocked by the amount of red. There shouldn't have been so much blood. He looked back at his surroundings, searching frantically for his father. There were bodies on the roof, all of Konoha ninja. There were no enemy casualties on the roof. He finally spotted his father standing to his far left about fifteen feet away. His white coat was splattered in blood, and flames licked dangerously close to the fabric.

"Hokage-sama!" Naruto screamed. The Hokage didn't move, facing in the opposite direction. The young blonde side stepped the bodies, which were strangely stacked in neat piles. He didn't understand what was going on. This was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. When he reached his father, he outstretched a hand to tap him on the shoulder. Naruto was almost frightened as to what he would see. He half expected to see a grotesque monster in the place of his father. The Hokage turned around, appearing unharmed other than a gash running across his forehead.

"Naruto, my son..." Minato said with a smile. Then time slowed. The rock he'd seen earlier appeared just as it collided with the earth. He was knocked off of his feet by the impact, and his father threw himself over him, blocking his view of anything else that was happening. The roof collapsed, sending them hurtling to the next floor. He was winded by the weight on top of him. He'd imagined his father to be so much lighter. He heard the metal frame of the building expanding from the heat of the flames. He felt his father trying to roll off of him, and falling with every attempt.

"S-Stop. Hokage-sama, stop." Naruto cried out. Surprisingly, he did. His ribs felt like they were going to shatter and his stomach like it was going to explode. His heart raced in his fear, and he felt something drop onto his forehead. He hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes and opened them slowly. He saw his father's wide blue eyes staring back at him. The thing that scared him most was the blood filtering through Minato's golden locks and onto his face.

"A-a-ah! H-H-Hokage-s-sama! M-M-M-Mina-t-to..." Naruto stuttered. He was frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what he'd just witnessed. Rather than trying to understand, he shut his eyes like he'd done all of his life. Tears rolled down his cheeks, soaking his hair. He had difficulties sobbing with the weight on top of him. After what felt like an hour, he opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was how easily he could breathe. There was no longer a weight on his chest to crush his lungs. The second thing he noticed was the sky. It was stained pink, orange, purple, and yellow, an array of colours and hues. It was one of the most breathtaking sunsets he'd experienced in Konoha. The third thing he noticed was the pain coming from his right arm and the back of his head. The fourth thing he noticed was that he was on a comfortable blanket of some sort.

"Ah, you're finally awake." A soft voice said. Naruto turned to his side, noticing emerald green eyes and bubblegum hair.

"Sakura-chan? What are you doing here?" He asked in surprise.

She grinned. "I was waiting for you to wake up, silly."

"To wake up?" Naruto tried to sit up, but a stern warning from Sakura and the ache at the back of his head made him think otherwise.

"You were knocked out by that man over there." She said, pointing at the hazel eyed man. He stared at her in confusion.

"Yeah, but I killed him. Then I went to the rood to help Ho-" Naruto paused, panic flowing through his veins. "Hokage-sama. Where is he?"

"No, Naruto. Itachi-sama killed him when he saw you get knocked unconscious. And Hokage-sama is recovering in the Hospital. He only had one injury, a cut on his forehead. Now you, mister, are another story. You suffered a mild concussion, you have a black eye, eight stitches on your left leg and your right arm is broken." Sakura frowned. "Your cast is pretty sick though." _So It was all a dream, a fantasy... but isn't that what __**this **__is too?_

At that, Naruto attempted to raise his right arm. He caught a flash of fluorescent orange before the pain became intolerable and he dropped his arm. "I signed it." Sakura commented.

"When did I receive all of those injuries?" Naruto asked, squinting at the young woman. She smiled down at him, running a hand through his hair.

"When you were knocked unconscious. You were left vulnerable, Naruto. Had Itachi-sama not come to your rescue, you'd be dead right now." She said bluntly.

"Aw, come on! Don't make me sound like a damsel in distress! I can handle myself perfectly." The blonde protested.

"Of course you can." Itachi said from behind Sakura. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever, Itachi-san." He said as he stuck out his tongue.

"Now listen, Naruto. You aren't going to have a pleasant time with your injuries. So you take care of yourself, alright?" Sakura shook her finger at him. "Because of your concussion, your sleeping is going to have to be regulated tonight. Understand? Change your bandages every few hours, and ice your eye. Don't get your cast wet, and don't strain yourself too much. Itachi has already volunteered to take care of you for a couple of days." He nodded slowly, watching her stand up and leave. Itachi took her place, sitting closer to him than Sakura had. He had a bandage wrapped around his eye and around his left hand.

"How do you feel?" Itachi questioned with concern.

"Pretty good, I guess. So you've volunteered to take care of me?" He said. "Can you help me sit up?"

"Yeah. Hold on a minute, Naru." The blonde smiled at the nickname, but the smile was quickly replaced with a pained grimace as he sat up. He felt a bit dizzy, but was okay. Head wise. His arm, eye, and leg proved to be a different matter.

"Are you in pain?" The raven asked, not removing his hand from Naruto's back.

"Meh. Kind of. I heal fast." Naruto replied.

"Tell me the truth." Itachi muttered. The blonde smiled sheepishly but remained silent. "Do you want to head home?"

"Yeah... I'm tired." The older man helped him to stand up, keeping an arm around his waist.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes..." Naruto put weight on his injured leg and hissed. "Uh... No."

Without a word, Itachi swept him into his arms. "You're really light." He commented as he casually leaped onto the roof of a nearby building. "Do you get enough to eat?"

"Yes, Itachi-san, I get enough to eat." Naruto rolled his eyes. "So are you staying at my house or something?"

"Correct. Obito's staying too, if you don't mind. It's a rule." Itachi answered.

The blonde took his time to contemplate the idea. "Yeah, that's okay. Thanks."

"You're welcome. I felt I owed it to you." Itachi looked down at him, a smirk on his lips.

"Why?" Naruto said with a puzzled expression.

"I don't know. I didn't really mean that. It just felt like something nice to say." Itachi shifted his hold on him with ease. He noticed his apartment fast approaching.

"Ch. Jerk. So why did you _really _volunteer?" Naruto wiggled his eyebrows, causing a light-hearted laugh to come from Itachi.

He loved that laugh.

"Because you're my friend."

**-x-**

**Yo. So, so sorry for the wait. I've been really busy with school and friends and boys... Man, they're so complicated. So anyways, you probably don't want to hear my lame excuses. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. This is so freaking stupid. Like, what was I even thinking? If you guys didn't catch it, he was dreaming. Some messed up dream that came from the darkest depths of my imagination. Minato's too hot to die, really. I found a new awesome song to listen to: Catalyst by Linkin Park. I love it. I wrote like all of this chapter while listening to it. Oh, and there won't be any SasuSaku. Sasuke's still going to be with Ino if that's what you guys want. Unless you really want him to be with Sakura or with anyone else... But yeah. Sakura's so much cooler in my fic than she is in the manga/anime. There was some ItaNaru fluff in here since I felt deprived. Also, in the scene where Naruto's depressed while talking to Itachi, he was supposed to be crying, but I felt like he was a cry baby. So I fixed it. Also, ignore any mistakes 'cause I didn't proof read it. I made this chapter longer than the others since I took so long! Okay, this Author's note is really too long now. Bye guys! Love you! Thank you for the reviews, favourites, and alerts!**

**Review Reply:**

**saya420: Haha, awww. Poor you! I wish I could answer those questions! You'll find out soon enough! Thanks for reviewing!**

**YamiPimpster: Oh no! Please do not resort to killing! Haha, that's exactly why I love cliff hangers too! They're so much fun and they keep you guessing. Aw, thank you so much! I'll try really hard to please you. (Now that's just dirty)...**


	5. No Escape Route

**Sorry for the late update and all of that junk.**

**-x-**

"**You tell me that you love you me but you never wanna see me again."**

**[Swans – Unkle Bob]**

**-x-**

_The facts I know:_

_This is not real._

_Suna doesn't exist, and Konohagakure's Jinchuuriki is one of my friends, Gaara._

_Akatsuki is capturing the tailed beasts._

_In this dimension or dream or parallel universe, the nine tails hasn't appeared since it was sealed into the Fourth Hokage's son._

_The Fourth Hokage's son is dead._

_I am the Fourth Hokage's son._

_I have the nine tails sealed inside of me._

_Something is preventing everyone from realizing my high chakra levels._

_No one remembers who I am._

_Number nine is due to my supposed death, as I am the Fourth Hokage's son._

_My parents and Obito Uchiha are alive._

_Konoha is now a night village._

_I still need to apologize to my mother for mouthing off._

_Sasuke is no longer such a bastard and Sakura isn't so violent and all-knowing._

_Itachi has raised my suspicions. Why can't he mind his own business anymore?_

* * *

"What are you doing?" A voice asked from behind Naruto's shoulder. The blonde snapped his notebook closed, looking up at the raven with a nervous smile.

"Making some notes." His voice remained monotone as he lied. If there was a career that revolved around lying, he'd have been boss by now.

"Oh?" Itachi raised a brow. His hand was slowly inching towards the notebook. Naruto noticed this and placed his own hand over Itachi's to prevent it from moving any further.

"That would be an invasion of privacy, Itachi-san." Naruto reprimanded with a small smile. Itachi smirked before saying, "Okay, okay. You're right. I'll leave it alone."

He didn't pull his hand away. Naruto looked up at the raven with a mischievous grin. "I see you're having a pleasant time holding my hand, eh?"

Itachi immediately shook Naruto's hand off, a grimace on his face. "No." He said simply, willing down the blush that threatened to appear.

"I know, I know." The blonde stood up, taking his notebook with him. It had been three days since the attack, and his pain had relatively decreased.

"Are you left-handed?" Itachi suddenly asked with apparent interest.

"No, I'm ambidextrous." Naruto replied. The raven nodded as he processed the new information.

"Listen, Itachi-san, can I ask you a few questions about what happened on our last _drill_?" He hadn't had the heart to ask sooner. The three of them had been having a great time, and he didn't want to spoil the fun so quickly.

"I suppose..." Itachi frowned. He led the way to the living room, gesturing for the blonde to sit beside him on the love seat.

"Thanks. So, what village were those ninja from?" Naruto asked.

"The Village Hidden in the Frost. They've attacked us multiple times. They're angered that we won't give the Akatsuki our tailed beast. Obviously they've been misinformed and believe that by allowing the Akatsuki to achieve their sick goals, war amongst ninja will end." Itachi said with a glare at nothing in particular.

"Well that's quite hypocritical of them. Starting a war in order to end it." Naruto laughed humourlessly. Itachi nodded in agreement.

"Okay, one about the Akatsuki... They're aiming to capture all of the tailed beasts, correct?"

"Yes."

"What about the nine tails?" Naruto innocently inquired. The raven's lips became a straight line. It was obviously a topic he didn't enjoy, and Naruto kept bringing it up.

"What do you mean?" Itachi retorted.

"Well, they need all of the tailed beasts, and the nine tails hasn't been spotted for over 15 years."

"I'm not suited to answer that question, as I'm not a part of Akatsuki." Itachi said. His voice sounded strained, as if he was vainly trying to keep his anger in check.

"Are you angry?" Naruto asked softly. The anger in Itachi's eyes immediately dissolved.

"No, of course not. I just don't understand why you continuously bring up the Kyuubi. Is there something you know?"

Naruto froze. He was unsure of how to answer that question. If he were to tell Itachi that he was the nine tails' jinchuuriki, he didn't know how the older man would react. After a brief minute, his doubt disappeared. He knew Itachi would never voluntarily put him in danger. Not the Itachi he knew... but this _wasn't _the Itachi he knew. As much as he wanted to tell the raven, he decided keeping him in the dark for a little while longer would be the safest option. He feared for his own well being, as well as for the others around him. There was no doubt that if he were discovered, chaos would follow.

"No, I studied the tailed beasts during my travels. My parents were experts on them." The blonde replied, keeping his eyes on Itachi and almost daring him to challenge it.

"Ah, I see." Itachi frowned. Naruto stood up and at the same time tucked his notebook safely into his pocket. He had been in love with Itachi in another reality, but for now he was going to hold off on trusting him. After all, he'd always been the Hokage's guinea pig. Who knew what he'd be ordered to do next?

"I've been wondering, is there a library somewhere in the village?" Naruto asked. Despite having lived in Konoha all his life, he'd never once been inclined to visit the library. Let's just say he wasn't enthusiastic about his education.

"Yes, there's one beside the Hokage tower. Would you like me to escort you?" Itachi replied. He wore a blank expression, one that not even Naruto had seen before.

"No thanks. I don't need an escort." He answered, and with the narrowing of his eyes he vanished through the door. Over the past few days, his suspicions of the raven had grown significantly. Not only was Itachi constantly prying into his affairs, he did it in a way that made him appear aloof and innocent. It irked the blonde to no end. He loved the raven with all his heart and soul, but he didn't understand what Itachi's deal was. He'd have liked to imagine that it was just curiosity, but he was beginning to suspect a deeper, darker motive.

He walked through the village with a fast pace, keeping his head down. He was beginning to feel strange around the villagers. Without the negative vibes, it left the village feeling empty. He didn't like that. Although he couldn't explain his logic or his emotions, he had willed himself to remain calm and unaffected. He knew, however, that Itachi was beginning to catch onto his uneasiness, and would eventually start pressing him for answers. The raven could be persistent and nosey if he let himself. Naruto knew all this by experience. Itachi and he had had so much going for them. Their relationship had held so much potential. Could it have really all been put to waste? Was all the effort and love, anger and strife, for nothing?

"Shut up." Naruto muttered to himself. Sometimes, in a world where you knew no one and no one knew you, it helped to talk to yourself. At least you would always know yourself. Know all your boundaries and limitations, all your deepest and darkest secrets. They were safe if you kept them to yourself. Still hovering in his thoughts, Naruto didn't notice a man stumble into his path. He didn't notice their white coat, or their blonde spikes, or their striking blue eyes. He didn't notice until they had collided, sending them both to the ground.

"Gah! I'm so sorry!" Naruto cried, rubbing the back of his head to ease the dull ache. He briefly glanced over to the other person, and saw the Hokage already on his feet. His breath didn't even catch anymore as his gaze landed on the broad shouldered blonde who was his father. Alive and in person... in the flesh. Behind him were two guards heatedly glaring at him for knocking the Hokage off his feet.

"It's alright, Naruto. I'm glad to see you've healed nicely." The man grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. He outstretched a hand, but Naruto pretended not to notice and awkwardly stood up.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. You're feeling better too?" Naruto's voice pitched at the end to emphasise the question.

"Yes. It's only scar tissue now. How have Obito-san and Itachi-san been treating you?" Minato continued. He didn't appear to realize the nervousness in the younger blonde's eyes.

"Just fine, thank you. They've cause quite the ruckus at my house though." Naruto chuckled, looking past the Hokage and at the library behind him. How ironic that the Hokage had managed to catch him at the entrance of his destination. He watched as the open library doors were pulled to a shut from the inside.

"Oh, have they?" Minato managed to continue the light conversation. Naruto warily looked at the older blonde.

"Yes. Listen, Hokage-sama. I've been dying to read this book at the library. So if you would please excuse me..." Naruto allowed a small smile to appear on his face to soften the blow of his words. The last thing he wanted was to offend the Hokage.

"Ah. I'm sorry to inform you, but a small fire broke out in the library. It will be closing for repairs and restoration for a minimum of two weeks." The Hokage looked anything but sincere.

"...But it was just open, Hokage-sama." Naruto mumbled. _No, no, no. This really couldn't be happening. He needed to get in the library to do research. _

"And now it's not, Naruto." Minato's smile faltered slightly. He bowed to excuse himself, and left with his two guards following behind him. Naruto watched him fade into a crowd of villagers. No one looked surprised at the sudden closing of the library doors. Naruto ran a hand through his hair, frowning as his stomach turned to lead. He had the jigsaw pieces, but the library was necessary to finish the puzzle. What could he do in order to understand? He'd already gone through it dozens of times in his head. He'd even written it in his notebook, but what now? What was left? What did he have to do? On a whim, he began walking back to his apartment. He figured nothing else could be done until the library reopened. Unless some other disaster delayed that. What if he was never allowed into the library? What would he do then? The problem at hand was too large for him by himself.

-x-

"Thank you for dinner, Obito-san." Naruto smiled. The look of cheer Obito gave him made him question his suspicions. He was certainly suspicious of Itachi and his father, but what about everyone else? Everyone else seemed to accept everything happening around them as if it occurred daily. Were they all in it too? The blonde didn't know who to trust, and even worse, he was contemplating it during dinner. He should be alert and paying attention to details.

"So, Naru, how was the library?" Itachi asked, dabbing at the corners of his mouth with a napkin. Naruto tried not to wince at the pet name.

"It was closed. Apparently there was a small fire, and it'll be closed for repairs for two weeks." The blonde watched Itachi carefully, taking in the reaction to his answer.

"How unfortunate. Why were you headed there anyways? I took you as someone _allergic _to books." Itachi grinned, unashamed of the jab at the blonde's intelligence he'd made.

"First impressions aren't always accurate." The blonde said snidely. He didn't mean to be so snappy, but the sting of Itachi's betrayal was eating away at him. The only problem was that he didn't know how exactly the raven had betrayed him.

"That's right. As a matter of fact, the first day I met Obito, I decided he was an idiot." Itachi glanced to his side, smiling cheekily at the fuming Uchiha.

"I am _not _an idiot." He snarled, jabbing the raven's arm with the top of his chopstick.

"Now I think he's an idiot in love." Itachi continued, finishing up his soup.

"Is there a difference?" The blonde muttered, looking down at his lap. Itachi appeared thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head.

"You're right. But there is a difference. He's in love with Kakashi-sensei, which enhances his idiocy."

"_UCHIHA ITACHI_. We are not going to mull over my personal affairs at the dinner table." Obito reprimanded.

Naruto couldn't hold back his laughter.

"You have one of the sweetest smiles I've seen." Itachi's charcoal eyes softened and he laid his chopsticks on the table. This wiped the smile off Naruto's face, and he returned to his blank faced self. But that wasn't really him.

"There's something wrong, isn't there?" Itachi questioned. Here was what the blonde had been dreading all night. He shook his head rapidly, begging the Uchiha with his eyes to quit worrying so much. Apparently Itachi didn't catch the hint, and abruptly stood from his seat.

"I'd like to speak to you in private, please."

"Not now, Itachi." Obito tugged at the raven's shirt with his free hand.

"Yes, right now, Obito. Excuse us. Let's go, Naruto." Itachi disregarded his cousin's attempts and took Naruto by the arm.

"I never agreed, Itachi-san." The blonde glared.

"This isn't your choice." Itachi said with an equal amount of venom. Naruto allowed himself to be dragged onto the balcony the Third Hokage had graciously supplied him with.

"What do you need?" Naruto growled, crossing his arms and looking down at the gleaming village. He still hadn't grown accustomed to the village's sudden night life.

"I don't understand you. One day, we're friends. The next, you barely speak. And the one after that, you're angry. Then we start the cycle all over again."

The blonde shook his head in disappointment. "I don't have to tell you everything. I never asked you to stay at my house. My injuries have healed enough that I no longer need assistance."

"Is that it? That Obito and I are overstaying our welcome?" Itachi leaned forward so their gazes were level. Naruto avoided his eyes, choosing to stare at his feet instead.

"No, that's not it. I can't tell you, okay?" The blonde yelled in irritation. At the pace of a snail, he inched towards the metal pole in the corner of the balcony.

"Naruto, I need to know. Our friendship can't go on like this." Itachi's voice was gentle and reassuring. It was exactly the way he'd have spoken to Naruto if the villagers were causing the blonde trouble again.

"Itachi, I... You..." The blonde shook his head, fighting the anger pooling in his stomach. He didn't want to be suspicious of the raven. He didn't want to hate him. He didn't want to love him so much it hurt. The betrayal hurt. At that moment, he wished for home more than anything.

The raven frowned. "I know you're scared, and I know you have secrets. But at least tell me what's wrong. I've only just met you, and already I've seen so many different sides of you. I want to meet the real Naruto. The one with no fears, no regrets, no secrets."

The blonde's back touched the pole. "Don't push me, Itachi." His eyes flickered back and forth, examining his surroundings. His breath came out in short pants.

"Naruto..." Itachi murmured, offering a small smile. With only the moonlight illuminating his face, Itachi appeared angelic. Naruto sighed. He had been forced into a corner, and he didn't have an escape route. So he stepped forward and swung his fist. His knuckles exploded in pain, but he imagined the raven's pain must have been much worse. Itachi's eyes widened in surprise, before a hand raised to scope out the damage on his left eye.

"Itachi... I can't think when I'm around you. My heart is in an emotional blender whenever I see you. I don't even know how to feel around you anymore. You're smart and mature and kind and you are... you, Itachi. And I... I love you. Loved you... In another reality or dimension or life. But now... I can't. I'm sorry."

Itachi froze in place, not having expected a bold declaration of love. But the blonde couldn't hold it in anymore. He'd always been an expressive individual and to have held in his true emotions and opinions for so long made him proud. Instead of waiting for a reaction, he climbed onto the fence surrounding the balcony. It was a long ways down, and he knew he would sustain injuries, but he could use chakra to soften the landing. Without a glance back at the raven, he hurled himself over the balcony.

-x-

His injuries were far worse than he'd imagined. Had he not been a ninja, it would have been an impossible feat. If he'd wanted to keep his life, anyways. He had managed to limp into a nearby forest and collapse under an old sakura blossom tree. He'd sprained his left ankle and shattered his right foot. He now realized landing on his feet hadn't been the best plan. Every time he moved or even breathed, a sharp pain would spark from his ribs. He guessed he'd broken a rib or two, but it was difficult to know for sure since he wasn't a trained medic-nin. With what little medical knowledge he had, he managed to splint his right foot with a stick and a ripped piece of his shirt.

"Nngh." Naruto groaned, rolling onto his other side to avoid further damage to his ribs. At least he hadn't cut himself anywhere. It was all bones... and his heart. His heart felt like it was going to explode. His previous injuries had already healed, due to Sakura frequently wasting her chakra on healing his broken bones. He could feel his clothing grow damp. It must have rained recently.

"I'm so stupid!" The blonde cried out, leaning his head on his arms. As he shook his head, the crunching of twigs alerted him of the presence of someone else. He jerked his head up, and came face to face with the raven he didn't want to see for at least a week. He needed to get his emotions sorted out.

"Go away." He muttered, sucking in a deep breath.

"Are you hurt?" Itachi asked softly. Instead of wasting his time on the older man, Naruto buried his face in the crook of his arm. He couldn't help wincing as his ribs throbbed angrily at the movement. The cold air of the spring night bit at any exposed skin. It was stupid of him to have forgotten a jacket. As if reading his mind, a blanket was wrapped over his shivering body. In an act of stubbornness, he shrugged it off.

"Don't be stupid, Naru." For a few minutes, there was silence. Naruto sucked up his pride and peered over his elbow. Itachi was lying on the dewy grass beside him, dark eyes trained on the sky above them. The silence stretched on, as if it could reach the end of the galaxy. The universe, even. Finally it was broken by the blank-faced raven.

"I wasn't expecting that, you know." Itachi whispered, his heated breath clouding in the wind. "And even though I've never had a relationship, or even had romantic feelings towards someone..."

"I know I feel differently when I'm around you. Kind of like a magnet and a piece of metal. You're the magnet, and I'm the metal. You're just so spontaneous and silly, and you make me goof off when I'm usually so strict and responsible. You're reckless, and I like taking care of you when you're hurt or sick. And every day I discover something new about you." He kept speaking as if the blonde was listening intently. He kept his gaze on the stars.

"I like you." The raven looked over at the blonde, a fond smile growing on his lips. "But I don't love you. I'm going to work hard to get there though. I have a feeling this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm not going to let it go."

Naruto's lips quivered and his vision blurred from an onslaught of tears. "Please don't do that..."

"Why not?" Itachi shuffled closer, so their hands were almost touching. Naruto flinched away at the contact. This was the guy who he was suspicious of, and he was the guy who he'd called his boyfriend since he was 12. He was his first love, and his first kiss. His brain shied away, but his heart was flailing its arms. He didn't know what to choose.

"I just... I don't want anything bad to happen. And I know something bad will happen. Nothing good will come of this. I know it." The tears spilled like waterfalls, tickling his nose as they followed, one after the other.

"We can make good things happen." Itachi said, taking his hand. His thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of his hand. "Okay?"

Naruto looked at him, watching the emotions in eyes flicker like a movie screen. Fear, confusion, curiosity... happiness, reassurance, relief.

"Okay." The blonde breathed out. Itachi pulled him into his arms, not realizing the extent of his injuries.

"Naruto, what did you do to yourself?" He reprimanded as Naruto let out a small whimper.

"I jumped off your balcony." The younger laughed sheepishly. Itachi reached for the blanket, spreading it over the two of them. Naruto shut his eyes, and for a moment, he could imagine himself back home.

"Do you want to go back home?" Itachi questioned, pushing back the urge to nuzzle the blonde's neck.

"Can you stay out here with me tonight?" Naruto tilted his head so he could look over at the raven.

"I wasn't going to leave even if you decided to go back home." Itachi chuckled. Naruto could feel his heart fluttering at the sound, and he mentally groaned. He hated it when he thought like a teenage girl. Some days he'd even gone as far as to question his gender.

"...You're not planning on hurting me, are you?" He thought back to his previous suspicions. He still hadn't managed to shake them off. He'd been so paranoid.

"Why would you think that?" Itachi retorted, snuggling closer to the small teenager in his arms.

"Would you stop treating me like a teddy bear?" Naruto ignored Itachi's question, preferring to not spark an argument.

"You feel like one." Naruto looked up at the sky, distracting himself by counting the stars. Every time he'd reached a reasonably high number, Itachi would squeeze him and he'd lose track of where he'd been.

"What, furry and fluffy?" The blonde teased.

"Exactly like that." Itachi nodded in amusement. He liked this. Just being able to tease each other and not having to deal with secrets. When he felt the blonde go limp in his arms, he looked down in alarm. He then realized the boy had fallen asleep on him. He couldn't help but smile at the sleeping teenager. In his head, however, he was pondering the blonde's confession. He'd said something about another life?

"How long is this going to last?" Itachi whispered to the spotlight in the sky.

**-x-**

**Thanks for sticking with me, guys. I know I'm a slow updater and my chapters aren't very long. Thanks for the reviews, and for the favourites and for the story alerts. Soooo... Yeah. They're going on their 'first' date in the next chapter, so look forward to that. Bye for now! I don't have anything fun to say. I'm just deathly tired and falling asleep on the laptop. Love you guys!**

**-x-**

**Review Reply**

**YamiPimpster: You're welcome! Thanks for reviewing! And you're so not a retarded idiot. I can't even make sense of what the hell is happening in my own fan fiction. Haha.**

**In The Mix: Oh wow. Long review! Thanks! Haha, do you not like her? I'm trying to make her less annoying/useless than she is in the manga. I'll keep that in mind! Aw, it's okay! That's a pretty good idea. I mean, they have to find out sometime, right? Actually, the Kyuubi's still inside Naruto. But everyone in that universe/dimension thinks the Kyuubi's gone into hiding. And Suna doesn't exist!**

**Saya420: Haha, I'm sorry! Thanks for reviewing buddy!**

**Ivy Raven: Aw, thank you so much! Naruto will do some thinking next chapter and that'll help you out. And I'm planning on making Sakura find out eventually. Thanks for reviewing!**


	6. Home Again

**I am so sorry for the wait.**

**-x-**

"**Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."**

**[Christian Morganstern]**

**-x-**

Sunlight painted the backs of his eyelids a vivid red and he sighed in exasperation. Naruto hadn't been able to sleep last night due to the stickiness of his clothes from the damp grass and the frequent shifting of Itachi. He cracked his eyes open, giving up on getting a wink of sleep. Tree branches arched over their huddled forms, forming a spider web of leaves and twigs. Rays of sunshine peeked through the openings, briefly blinding him. He could see patches of cloudless blue sky. He sucked in a deep breath, taking in all of the smells, colours, and sounds. Itachi's arms around his waist tightened slightly and he couldn't help but smile. This feeling in his gut, it felt _right_.

"Morning..." The Uchiha mumbled groggily. Naruto turned to face him, noticing his barely open eyes, soft smile, and messy hair.

"Good morning." Naruto replied, wrapping his arms around Itachi's neck on a whim and cuddling up to the raven.

"I'm going back to sleep, okay?" Itachi whispered, shutting his eyes again.

"That's not a surprise." The blonde chuckled under his breath. "I didn't sleep at all last night."

"Why... not?" Itachi's voice was already fading as he lost consciousness. How a person could fall asleep so easily was unbeknownst to Naruto. He took the liberty of clutching his barely conscious pillow closer.

"Because I couldn't get out of your death grip!" Naruto cried passionately. He really needed to take out his frustration on the raven. After all, he was one of sleep's biggest fans.

"Much like you're doing to me now?" Itachi answered. With an irritated huff, he squeezed out of the raven's arms and sat up. The blanket pooled at his waist. His muscles and bones strained at the sudden movement, and he finally realized how stupid he'd been. He doubted he'd be able to walk by himself for a few days. His ribs clearly protested, and he resisted the urge to scream.

"Why am I such an idiot? Pulling stunts like that? I'm an IDIOT." He groaned. Itachi's hand snaked around his waist.

"I ask myself that daily. Why _are _you such an idiot?" He teased. When Naruto looked over at him, he realized Itachi was more or less awake. His eyes were wide and reminded him of warm, fresh brownies. Of course, if he told Itachi that he'd probably ruin his chances with the man.

"Learned it from you." Naruto stuck out his tongue. "Can we go home? I feel icky."

"As you wish." Itachi was already on his feet, wincing slightly at the state of his clothing.

"I may need your assistance." Naruto frowned. He gestured towards his legs.

The raven arched a brow. "Did you hurt yourself last night?"

Naruto rolled his eyes before giving a slow nod. Itachi clucked his tongue. "You really are an idiot, you know?"

"I know." The blonde sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Itachi wrapped an arm around his waist and easily propped him up. "Makes me like you more."

With a wince, he asked for Itachi's consent before climbing onto his back. He'd have to invite Sakura over and inconspicuously point out his injuries. Itachi made four complete circles before Naruto slapped him over the head. "Pick the blanket up." Itachi said. He crouched down to the floor, balancing perfectly as Naruto struggled to reach for the blanket all the while holding onto the other's shoulders. They remained in that position for four minutes. Eventually Naruto let out a sigh and admitted his incompetency. The raven shook his head in disappointment before releasing one of the blonde's legs and scooping up the blanket.

"Onward!" Naruto cried, pointing over Itachi's shoulder at his apartment building. The raven chuckled softly, standing and walking at a slow pace. The blonde nuzzled Itachi's jacket, smiling despite wanting to maintain a straight face. He just felt so happy. The majority of villagers turned to face them as they slowly trotted by. Naruto supposed they weren't used to seeing _the _Uchiha Itachi giving a piggy back to someone other than his little brother.

"So, how is it up there?" The raven asked, tilting his head back. Naruto presented him with a wicked grin. "Marvellous, dear." He said in a nasal voice. Every few seconds, he'd realize he was on the receiving end of a glare. Fangirls.

"I'm glad." Itachi replied. He waddled from side to side, earning himself a whispered, "You're silly." In his ear. They reached Naruto's apartment building.

"Do I really have to climb all these stairs with you on my back?" Itachi fake whined. They stood at the base of the stairs, rocking slightly.

Naruto tapped his chin in mock thought. "I don't know. I think so, unless you'd much rather leave me here." At Itachi's silence, he added, "It's not worth contemplating."

"Of course." The raven laughed. Less than two minutes later, they were faced with a red Obito.

"_There _you are!" Obito sighed, running a hand through his black locks. "I was worried."

"Is Kakashi over?" Itachi asked, peering over the older man's shoulder.

Obito arched a brow. "Yeah... how'd you know?" He opened the door further, allowing entrance to the two teenagers.

"You're not having a fit." Itachi muttered under his breath. Obito either didn't hear or chose to ignore it. The younger Uchiha deposited the blonde on the couch.

"What's up with you, blondie?" Obito asked, sprawling on the couch across from him.

"Broke a rib or two, a foot, sprained the other..." Naruto shrugged as if this was a normal occurrence. He hadn't been so reckless since his pre-teen years. Obito's eyes doubled in size. He immediately retreated into the kitchen and returned with a few bags of ice.

"You must handle pain well." Kakashi commented from behind the back of the couch.

"Meh. I've had worse." The blonde balanced three bags of ice as he struggled to make himself comfortable. He felt pillows being rearranged against his back.

"You alright there?" Itachi asked in an amused tone. Naruto hadn't even noticed his disappearance.

"Fine, thank you." The blonde stuck out his tongue, examining the other three inhabitants of his living room. Kakashi appeared casual like usual. Obito looked ruffled, and perhaps a bit awkward. Then there was Itachi... Amused, concerned, and extremely appealing to the eyes. This observation caused a splatter of pink to appear in his cheeks.

"Where were you last night?" Obito finally asked. Naruto pursed his lips in silent contemplation. Before he could make a mess of things, Itachi replied for him.

"We fell asleep outside." Itachi said with a shrug. Obito arched a brow, but chose not to question them further. Itachi looked over at him, a tiny grin on his lips that was meant only for the blonde. Naruto smiled back, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment. Itachi made his heart race and his palms became sweaty under his gaze. He supposed that was what love felt like. He still hadn't let go of his previous suspicions, but they had significantly decreased. He had faith that Itachi would not aim to harm him. After all, he'd just confessed his feelings last night. He hoped to the big man in the sky that Itachi's feelings had been honest.

"Naruto?" Itachi had moved closer, crouching on the floor beside the couch.

"Hm?" The blonde replied. He briefly glanced around them, noticing that Obito and Kakashi had disappeared from the room. Before he could ask about their whereabouts, Itachi placed a hand on his jaw, successfully distracting him.

"Just checking to make sure you were alright." The raven said, a gentle smile making its appearance. "I'm going to go shower... will you be okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Naruto teased, leaning into the warmth of Itachi's hand. The raven nodded slowly as he stood. As he watched Itachi disappear around a corner, a feeling of dread filled his stomach. An unexplainable sadness came over him, and he shuddered uncomfortably. He was feeling exactly like he'd felt when he'd first woken up in this place. He shut his eyes; watching memories of his old life play out before him. Itachi reaching for him, sunlight streaming over his shoulders. Sasuke and Ino's intertwined fingers. Sakura whacking him over the head. Kakashi-sensei peering over the top of his book at him. Then he saw his mother, crooning over a pot of soup. His father leaning cheerfully back in his desk. But they weren't from _his _reality, he realized. This wasn't real. He almost felt like he was cheating on _his _Itachi. Cheating on his friends. He thought back to that last day. When he'd hugged Sakura and smelled her hair as he nuzzled her neck. Then the sharp pain in his arm, which he assumed was an injection. _I am asleep. This is not real._

His eyes remained closed, and he sighed in defeat. "But I'm stuck here for the time being. I might as well make the best of it."

"Make the best of what?" He hadn't noticed Itachi's re-entrance. His hair was hanging in wet clumps over his shoulders due to the shower he'd just taken.

"Back so fast?" Naruto quickly changed the subject, offering the older man a nervous smile.

The raven frowned thoughtfully. "I was gone for over an hour, Naru."

"Oh. Time sure flies by!" He chirped, slapping a hand to his forehead.

"Would you like some dinner?" Itachi asked, getting comfortable by his feet.

"Sure. But could I take a quick shower first?" He experimentally wiggled his toes in an effort to determine how much he'd healed. His feet didn't hurt nearly as much as they had this morning. It was probably due to the nine tailed fox's chakra.

"Are you able to take one by yourself?" Itachi said without even processing his question. A light blush adorned his cheeks once he realized how forward he'd sounded.

"Jeez, slow down there. And yes, I'm able to. My feet don't hurt too badly. I must have lightly sprained them both instead." Naruto quickly deflected the awkward conversation that was sure to arise. He gently prodded his rib cage, and realized they were still tender, but shouldn't bother him too much.

"Okay... I'll get dinner ready while you shower, alright?" Itachi pursed his lips in silent contemplation but decided not to call him out. The blonde got to his feet, swaying dangerously, before making his way into the bathroom. He quickly stripped his clothes and took a step into the shower littered with water droplets from Itachi's recent shower. He watched as a drop of water crawled down the black tile, followed by another droplet in pursuit. The bathroom was still steamy, and he took a deep, trembling breath. He turned on the shower, yelping when icy water trailed down his body. He didn't bother to wait for the water to heat. In a way he relished in the way the water sent chills racking through his body. He almost enjoyed it.

With a blissful sigh, he turned off the shower after having lathered and repeated three times. He couldn't possibly be more squeaky clean than he already was. His body was relentless in its trembling. However, after having showered in the cold for thirty minutes, it was only to be expected. He wrapped a thin towel around himself, lying in a heap on the floor mat. He knew it was unsanitary, but he couldn't stop shaking.

"Naruto?" Someone knocked on the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, 'Tachi." The blonde called back.

There was a comfortable silence. "Are you sure? You've been so quiet..."

Naruto smiled at the older man's concern. "I'm perfectly fine, alright? Don't worry."

"If you say so, Naru. Dinner's ready and on the table when you come out." Itachi said. Naruto wrapped the towel over his lower half, and shimmied to the door. He took a moment to recompose himself before running to his bedroom. He checked to make sure the windows and doors were closed before tossing the towel on the floor and rummaging through his drawers. His fingers found a fitted orange shirt, black boxers, and a pair of black sweat pants. He quickly changed, pausing to run a hand through his hair in an effort to tame the spikes. Finding it difficult to accomplish, he left his hair be and wandered into the kitchen.

"Hey." Itachi said softly. He was standing behind a chair, hands in his pockets. The room was dark, and was illuminated by lit candles. Shadows flickered over the raven's face. Naruto lowered his eyes, examining the beautiful table display.

"This... is beautiful, Itachi." Naruto whispered. He looked up again with a smile on his face. Itachi returned a significantly smaller one, but it was a smile. Naruto took his seat from across the dinner table, fiddling with his hands.

"Nervous?" Itachi asked. He'd already begun serving himself.

"Pfft, of course not." The blonde chuckled. "Itadakimasu."

Naruto piled a few dumplings onto his plate, and had already chomped through three before realizing Itachi was staring at him. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

The raven shook his head, but continued to stare. The blonde could feel his cheeks beginning to heat up. "Itachi, come on."

"I think I'm starting to fall in love with you. Already." The older man said bluntly.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He didn't have a clue as to how to reply. Instead, he kept eating and pretended not to hear.

"You've been strange today." Itachi commented.

The blonde's gaze travelled upwards. "Have I?"

"Don't pretend you haven't been." The raven said with a frown.

Naruto pursed his lips. "Okay. So what if I have been?"

"Why?" Itachi asked almost immediately. Naruto laid his chopsticks on his plate. "Why do you care so much?"

"I don't see why I shouldn't. I told you, Naruto. I'm falling in love with you, and you refuse to accept that." The raven snapped.

"I... I'm sorry." Naruto looked down at his lap. He couldn't face _this _Itachi. Not anymore. He heard a chair being scraped back, then heard quick footsteps coming towards him. He felt Itachi grab him by his elbow and pull him out of his chair. Arms wrapped around his face, and a face nudged the expanse of skin connecting his neck and shoulder. The familiar gesture felt almost foreign to him. He felt sick to his stomach by the abrupt affection.

"Don't be. I'm just worried." Itachi muttered into his hair. Naruto remained perfectly still, wishing his existence away. "You can tell me anything, alright?"

The blonde barely found the strength in himself to nod. "Thank you." He whispered in a rasp.

Itachi's hold on him tightened. "I'm here for you."

"Thank you." Naruto said again. He felt like a broken record. He noticed the way his stomach was clenching more painfully each time. He was on the verge of letting out a gasp. Tears prickled his eyes from the sharp pain flaring from his stomach. _Was it something he ate?_

Itachi's voice cut into his thought process. "Naruto? Why are you crying?"

"N-No, I'm fine. I-I'm going to bed." The blonde clenched his fists to keep from crying out. This pain was so much more intense than anything he'd ever felt.

"Naruto!" The raven called from behind him.

Naruto couldn't concentrate enough to reply. He trudged into his room, locked the door, and fell to the floor with a whimper. "W-What's happening?" He barely noticed his eyes closing and his head making contact with the floor. The floor he'd laid down on three years ago... when he'd admitted to himself he loved Itachi.

His lips quivered as a gasp came out. Tears streaked down his cheeks, and oh Kami, he just wanted to scream. He clutched at his stomach in fear. "I... Don't... Ngh... Wan't... T-to... D-die." The thought of dying terrified him, but he supposed it was only human nature. It was just so... unknown. He could feel sweat coating his forehead.

The next pang of pain could only be welcomed with a scream. The pain was becoming almost unbearable. He screamed as long as he could, before catching his breath and screaming again. And then... It stopped. He opened his eyes after a minute of silence. With quivering arms, he raised himself off the floor. His breath came in short pants from the effort. His bed seemed too far away to reach in his current state. He lay down on the cold tile, trying to slow down his erratic heart. He closed his eyes, and waited for sleep to take him from this nightmare.

-x-

He opened his eyes. He took a moment to gaze up at the ceiling in wonder. It was a pasty white, one that he'd only ever seen in the hospital. There was sunlight streaming in from a window on his right. The air smelled of disinfectants and gauze. He quickly shut and opened his eyes, checking to make sure what he was seeing was not a hallucination. He vaguely wondered whether this was _his _reality.

"Naruto-kun." A voice to his left said. He slowly turned, afraid to face the stranger. It was a man in a white coat. He had on a pair of reading glasses and was clutching a clipboard to his chest. "How do you feel?"

"Groggy, I suppose." The blonde replied. He turned onto his side, automatically curling into the fetal position. It was a position he'd always felt safe in. The man introduced himself as doctor Nagasaki and gave him a brief description of his diagnosis. Apparently he'd been checked into the hospital a week ago due to chakra exhaustion. He'd never been under for so long, not for chakra exhaustion. It usually took him under two days to gain back his strength, and at his most critical moments three days. He fiddled with his bed sheets, debating whether or not it was strange there was no one there to see him. He'd always had several visitors during his hospital stays. He closed his eyes in sudden confusion. One minute he'd been in the _other _reality and the next he'd been in this one. And the stomach pains... he'd never felt anything like it. He wondered if his stomach pains from last night had anything to do with his waking up here. He heard the door to his hospital room open, but he didn't bother to turn around. He was exhausted- emotionally _and _physically.

"Kitsune." Naruto felt his heart clench. Only _his _Itachi called him that.

"Itachi?" The blonde asked warily. He remained facing the window, waiting patiently for Itachi's answer.

"Of course, Naru. You don't know any other Itachi's." His boyfriend said with a chuckle.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You have no idea..."

"Come on, turn around and face me." Itachi said with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Too tired, and not in a good mood." Naruto mumbled. There was silence for a long time. He even contemplated whether Itachi had left. Finally, he felt a hand on his waist.

"Oh? And why would that be?" Itachi asked. The blonde felt Itachi nuzzling his neck. This time, there were no stomach cramps.

"I wouldn't be able to explain even if I wanted to." Naruto replied. He leaned into Itachi's gentle caresses, and sighed deeply.

"Give me a hint at least." The raven persisted. He ended up pulling the blonde fully into his arms.

"I had this... strange dream, you could say. It was so realistic... and I mean, _realistic_. I practically lived a week or so in the dream, and you were there... but it wasn't really _you_. And it wasn't Tsunade as Hokage, it was my own father. My mother was alive as well, and so was Obito. And Sakura and Sasuke were close... and they weren't themselves either. It was so messed up and I really have no idea how to interpret it."

"Ah... I see. But remember, Naru. It was only a dream." Itachi replied.

Naruto rolled his eyes in frustration. "Yeah, some drugged up dream. It was crazy, Itachi. And so _real_."

"Again, it was only a dream. This is real." Itachi said, stroking the blonde's hair.

Naruto could do nothing but allow the gesture. "When do I get to leave? And do you know why I was out cold for so long?"

Itachi's grip slackened considerably after his seemingly innocent question. "In a day or two... they need to monitor your chakra closely. And I haven't the faintest clue."

"The doctor that was in here a while ago said I had chakra exhaustion... but the last thing I remember is hugging Sakura, and she _injected _something into me." Naruto exclaimed. He pulled away from his boyfriend and tossed the blankets away. The air in the room was stuffy, as if someone hadn't been in the room for a long time.

"She injected something into you? Don't be ridiculous. You must have forgotten, since you went and trained extensively after that." Itachi reached out for him again, but the blonde blocked his advances.

"What's up with you? You're so touchy-feely... And I'm not being ridiculous, Itachi. I specifically remember her poking me with a syringe. And why would I have trained again? We already trained earlier on that day. Anyways, how would _you _know? You were out with Kakashi-sensei or something after that."

Itachi frowned. "There's nothing _up _with me. I'm just concerned for your health. Honestly Naruto, the chakra exhaustion must have done something to you. Sakura would never hurt you. I saw you training when I was on my way to Kakashi-san's house."

"Okay, Itachi. Sure. Whatever you say. Are you joking? Sakura punches me for fun. And to make it clear, I was _not _training. You didn't even answer my question. Why would I have been training so hard? Nothing of importance is coming up any time soon. I was sticking to my normal training routine." Naruto stumbled out of bed and towards the open window. He kneeled on the window sill, leaning out and inspecting the weather.

"What's with the snotty attitude, Naruto? Sakura cares about you very much and would never do something to that _extent_. I told you already, I saw you while on my way to Kakashi-san's. I know what I saw. And I have no idea why you were training so hard. Maybe you were frustrated."

"I'm not being snotty. You're the one defending some half-constructed lie. I understand that Sakura cares about me, but people change. There's always one layer that you never uncover. And I told you, Itachi, that I was _not _training. I _know _what I remember last, and that is passing out in Sakura's arms. I had no reason to be frustrated anyways. But now I do." Naruto shouted in anxiety. Itachi's lies were beginning to irk him. Why would his boyfriend even have a reason to lie to him, anyways?

"A lie? I'm sorry, Naruto, but you must be mistaken. I wouldn't lie to you. So are you implying that Sakura poisoned you? And _I _know what I saw, Naruto. There's only two ways this conversation can go, and I don't want it to go downhill. Let's just talk about something else, alright?" Itachi replied, crossing his arms. The sunlight from the window suddenly dulled, covering Itachi in a strange gray light. Naruto hated fighting with Itachi. It didn't happen often, but when it did, their arguments were explosive.

"That's the thing, 'Tachi... You wouldn't. So why are you lying to me right now? And no... Well, she might have. But not to harm me. And I know what I was doing, too. But alright. I'm sorry for being so quick to judge. I know you're just looking out for my well being." Naruto went back to his spot on the bed, pulling the blankets over his head. "I'm feeling sick from that dream, Itachi... I don't know why I have this feeling of... of suspicion, and of betrayal."

The raven wrapped his arms around the mound of blankets below him. "Sh, we'll talk about this later. That's okay, Kitsune. I'm sorry for fuelling the fire." He climbed in the bed beside the blonde with a sigh. "What do you mean, you feel betrayed? And why would you be suspicious?"

"S'okay... The thing is, I'm suspicious of-" The blonde began, before being cut off by a nurse.

"Visiting hours are now over, Itachi-san." The nurse said with a dusting of pink across her cheeks.

"Thank you. Now, Naruto, what were you saying?" Itachi said quickly.

The blonde shook his head. "Nah. You have to go. I'll talk to you later." Naruto felt like telling Itachi his thoughts would bring about something horrible.

"I won't be able to visit for a few days, so it would be best to tell me now." Itachi replied.

"Why not?" Naruto said, ignoring the last part of his suggestion.

"Mission. So what were you going to say?" Itachi persisted.

"I can wait." He said simply. Itachi was aggravating him in every way possible. Lying, pestering, touching.

"If you say so. Bye, Naru." His boyfriend left with a wave. However, a few seconds later, as if having forgotten something, popped his head back into the doorway. "I love you."

How could he have forgotten after so many years?

-x-

**Oh my goodness. I apologize for the month and a half long wait. I think my procrastinating is getting worse. Anyways, I hope you guys haven't all given up hope on this fanfic and I. The party's just getting started! So it may appear as if Itachi and Naruto's relationship is taking a downhill turn, but we'll just have to wait and see! Thank you so much for the reviews and favourites and story alerts. You guys rock. I love you. **

**MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!**

**Naruto**_** will **_**be going back to his dream soon.**

**Review Reply**

**saya420: Hey there! Thanks for the review! I can't really give off any spoilers, so you'll just have to wait and see. By the way, I want some father/son bonding too. :D**

**In The Mix: Hi! In his dream, Suna just **_**didn't **_**exist. I don't really have a legitimate reason, but I'll just go ahead and say that he wanted Gaara and co. in Konoha with him. Oh jeez, she's unbearable sometimes. I love fluff with a passion. Thanks for the review!**

**Ivy Raven: Gah! Your questions all involve spoilers! But I'll definitely be answering them in the story. Thank you so much for the review. It makes me happy knowing that some reviewers actually question the story rather than just letting it play out.**

**YamiPimpster: IT'S OKAY. Aw, that sucks! Yeah, the village is super suspicious. Yondaime's one suspicious guy, if you know what I mean. Haha, thanks for the review.**

**animegirl03: Aw, thank you!**

**MadaMag: Woo! 100 points for creativity and another 100 for getting the answer right. Thank you so much for the review! **


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